The Impact of Educational Package on Nursing Students' Knowledge towards Fertility Preservation, a Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Recent advances in diagnosis and treatment of cancers have resulted in survival improvement in young patients with cancer. Given the side effects of cancer treatments on the function of the reproductive system, health care providers need to be educated about the side effects of cancer treatment and fertility preservation. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of education on nursing students' knowledge towards fertility preservation methods in patients with cancer. Methodology: This was a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test post-test research study that was carried out by the nursing faculty at Islamic Azad University of Tonekabon in 2018. Data was collected through a two-part questionnaire, including demographic characteristics and 32 questions about the knowledge of fertility preservation in patients with cancer. The study intervention was an educational package which includes 8 sessions of small group education, planning questions, and a booklet. Students were asked to complete the questionnaire before starting an educational session and again two weeks after the last session. Results: The difference in the mean score of the nursing students’ knowledge before and after the educational package intervention was significant (P= 0.0001). Also, the knowledge rank of nursing students after the intervention was significantly better than before (P = 0.0001).  There was a significant difference between the mean score of knowledge based on gender (0.0001), marital status (0.0001) and residency (0.0001). Conclusion: In conclusion, educational intervention towards fertility preservation had a positive effect on nursing students’ knowledge. Therefore, the importance of considering this new approach to fertility preservation in patients with cancer should be considered in the nursing curriculum as they consider as the main resource of the medical information to the patient