Determining nursing student knowledge, behavior and beliefs for breast cancer and breast self-examination receiving courses with two different approaches.

Background: This study aimed to determine nursing student knowledge, behavior and beliefs for breast cancer and breast self-examination receiving courses with a traditional lecturing method (TLM) and the Six Thinking Hats method (STHM).

Materials And Methods: The population of the study included a total of 69 second year nursing students, 34 of whom received courses with traditional lecturing and 35 of whom received training with the STHM, an active learning approach. The data of the study were collected pre-training and 15 days and 3 months post-training. The data collection tools were a questionnaire form questioning socio-demographic features, and breast cancer and breast self-examination (BSE) knowledge and the Champion's Health Belief Model Scale. The tests used in data analysis were chi-square, independent samples t-test and paired t-test.

Results: The mean knowledge score following traditional lecturing method increased from 9.32 ± 1.82 to 14.41 ± 1.94 (P<0.001) and it increased from 9.20 ± 2.33 to 14.73 ± 2.91 after training with the Six Thinking Hats Method (P<0.001). It was determined that there was a significant increase in pre and post-training perceptions of perceived confidence in both groups. There was a statistically significant difference between pre-training, and 15 days and 3 months post-training frequency of BSE in the students trained according to STHM (p<0.05). On the other hand, there was a statistically significant difference between pre-training and 3 months post-training frequency of BSE in the students trained according to TLM.

Conclusions: In both training groups, the knowledge of breast cancer and BSE, and the perception of confidence increased similarly. In order to raise nursing student awareness in breast cancer, either of the traditional lecturing method or the Six Thinking Hats Method can be chosen according to the suitability of the teaching material and resources.