Effect of Nurse Navigation Program on Cervical Cancer Screening Behaviour of the Women Aged 30-65

An important step in the fight against cervical cancer is access to early diagnosis, early screening culture and the creation of screening opportunities. Problems in access to health services, barriers and cultural reasons play an important role in participation in cervical cancer screening. Nurse The Navigation Program is important to help individuals overcome and cope with these barriers. There are international studies showing the positive effect of the nurse navigation program on cervical cancer screening behaviors. However, it is thought that this study will contribute to the literature because the number of studies on this subject is not sufficient and no research is found in national sources.

It is aimed to contribute to overcoming the problems and obstacles in front of the patients' access to cervical cancer screening with the Nurse Navigation Program application developed based on the Transtheoretical Model to the experimental group and to provide evidence for the nurse navigation program application to be a method used in the cervical cancer screening process.

The population of the study will consist of female members of Non-Governmental Organizations in the 30-65 age group. The data of the study will be collected between September 13, 2024 and February 15, 2025 after ethics committee approval and institutional permission. The design of the study is a randomized controlled experimental study.

The data will be collected using the Individual Descriptive Information Form, Information Questions on Reproductive Health and Sexual Life, Questions on Cervical Cancer and Screening, Questions on HPV Knowledge, Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Test Health Belief Model Scale. The statistical data obtained as a result of the research will be analyzed using the SPSS package program. It is expected that the rate of having HPV-DNA test and Pap smear test is higher in the experimental group in which the nurse navigation program is applied compared to the control group in which the intervention is not applied, and the mean score of benefit perception of cervical cancer screening behaviors (HPV DNA and/or Pap smear) is expected to be significantly different in the group in which the nurse navigation program is applied compared to the group in which it is not applied.

Inclusion criteria

Women aged between 30 and 65 years, able to use the WhatsApp application, not undergoing regular cervical cancer screening, with no history of gynecological cancer, currently or previously sexually active, and voluntarily willing to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

Women who had a current diagnosis or history of gynecological cancer, were undergoing regular cervical cancer screening, were unable to use the WhatsApp application, had never been sexually active, or did not provide voluntary consent to participate in the study.