A brief educational intervention can improve nursing students’ knowledge of the human papillomavirus vaccine and readiness to counsel

ABSTRACT

Provider recommendation is a primary reason for patient uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Most provider-focused educational interventions are focused on physicians, even though nurses are also important sources of vaccine-related information for their patients. This study examined whether a HPV educational intervention could improve nursing students’ HPV knowledge, beliefs, and comfort with counseling. The same lecture on HPV and HPV vaccination was given to both medical and nursing students. To determine the effects of the lecture, students were asked to complete identical pre- and post-lecture tests with questions on demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and comfort with counseling on the HPV vaccine. Pre- and post-lecture test scores were compared between nursing and medical students to assess whether there were differences in pre-lecture test scores and/or changes in post-lecture test scores. On the pre-lecture tests, fewer nursing students responded correctly to knowledge questions, indicated positive attitudes or comfort with counseling about the HPV vaccine compared to medical students. However, similar frequencies of nursing and medical students responded correctly to knowledge questions and indicated a positive attitude, as well as a high comfort level with counseling on the post-lecture tests. Study results show that integrating lectures in a nursing program curriculum could be a feasible way to increase students’ HPV knowledge. Having health-care providers with similar levels of knowledge, attitudes, and comfort with counseling on HPV vaccination is ideal, as all share the responsibility of recommending the vaccine to patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Human papillomavirus
• HPV vaccine
• medical education
• nursing education
• interprofessional education

Acknowledgments

Financial support for this study was provided by 3 prevention grants from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT PP180012, PP160010, and PP190004, Berenson PD). This study was conducted with the support of the Institute for Translational Sciences at The University of Texas Medical Branch supported in part by a Clinical and Translational Science Award (UL1TR001439) from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of CPRIT or NCATS.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas under grant awards, CPRIT PP180012, PP160010, and PP190004, with ABB as PD. This study was also supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health under a Clinical and Translational Science Award (UL1TR001439) to the Institute for Translational Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of CPRIT or NCATS.