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To explore Danish women's experiences with opting out of cervical cancer screening and the role of the nurse in the women's decision-making process.
A qualitative study using semi-structured, individual interviews with a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach.
Interviews were conducted with 13 women with experience in opting out of cervical cancer screening. Women were recruited through a public flyer and interviewed virtually or by phone. The interviews were analysed using the theory of interpretation from Paul Ricoeur and consisted of three levels: naïve reading, structural analysis, and critical discussion and analysis. The present study adheres to the COREQ guidelines.
The women experience various personal causes for opting out of cervical cancer screening, such as low accessibility of screening appointments, discomfort during the smear test, fear of being sick, and insufficient information about the relevance of screening to the individual woman. The perceived disadvantages of screening outweighed their perceived advantages. The women's experiences did not include the role of the nurse in the procedures and knowledge sharing related to cervical cancer screening. However, nurses were described as having good communicative and relational qualifications relevant to being involved in cervical cancer screening.
It was challenging for the women to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of cervical cancer screening and thus to make an informed decision about participation. They expressed a need for more information on which to base their decision. This places nurses in a much needed, yet unexplored, role of identifying and lowering potential personal barriers that may outweigh the women's perceived benefits of participating in screening.
Nurses should play a more active role in cervical cancer screening such as improving general knowledge and facilitating two-way communication about its relevance.
The present study adheres to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines.
No patient or public contribution.
To explore the experiences of nursing students in England who had worked through the first wave and transitioned to qualification in the ongoing pandemic.
Experiences of health professionals and student nurses during the pandemic are now well documented, but the transition of students to qualification is less well understood. In Summer 2020, we interviewed 16 student nurses who had worked as health care assistants on paid extended placements as part of the COVID-19 response in the East of England, finding surprisingly positive experiences, including perceived heightened preparedness for qualification. A year later, we re-interviewed 12 participants from the original study to hear about transitioning to qualification during the ongoing pandemic. This study provides novel insights into their experiences.
A qualitative study design was used.
Twelve newly qualified nurses who had participated in the original study took part in qualitative, online interviews where they shared their experiences of working and transitioning to qualification during the ongoing pandemic since we spoke to them a year earlier. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. COREQ guidelines were used in developing and reporting this study.
Three themes were identified. Constant change: in the clinical environment and arising out of the transition to newly qualified nurse, mental health and well-being and reflecting on the past to learn for the future.
Participants experienced a unique transition to qualification. The perceived heightened preparedness for qualification that participants who had worked as students during the first wave of the pandemic had become a reality, ameliorating some of the known effects of transition. However, increased expectations and added responsibilities in extremely busy, fluctuating clinical environments with minimal support add weight to calls for mandatory preceptorship programmes. While heightened resilience was evident, provision of ongoing mental health and well-being support is strongly recommended.
We need a partnership approach with nurse educators and practice colleagues which ensures preparation for qualified practice is appropriate. If we do not effectively prepare students for qualified nurse posts, patient care will almost certainly be compromised.
FreshRSS 