Effect of clinical breast examination training on practitioner’s perceived competence

Effective clinical breast exam (CBE) training should not only improve screening technique but also reduce barriers to performing CBE by increasing perceived competence and self-efficacy. Using the vertical strip technique with silicone breast models and live patients, 4-day CBE training sessions were provided to 34 nurse-practitioners. Trainees perceived a significant decrease in the size of breast lesion they could detect after training (P<0.0001). The size of the detectable lesion reported prior to training was correlated with the years of CBE experience (P<0.05); however, the size of the detectable lesion after training was not significantly related to previous CBE experience. Trainees with less CBE experience prior to training reported greater improvement in the ability to detect smaller lesions (P<0.05). Results indicate a significant CBE training effect on perceived competence, and suggest that nurse practitioners from all levels of experience can benefit significantly from CBE training.