Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Protecting Your Largest Organ: A Journey in Skin Cancer Education, Prevention, and Early Detection

Department

Nursing

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Abstract

Rates of skin cancer diagnoses continue to increase globally, making skin cancer one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies. Despite rising incidence, many individuals lack knowledge of risk factors, warning signs, and effective prevention strategies. This quality improvement project aimed to improve skin cancer awareness by providing targeted skin cancer education to young adults enrolled at a university in the Midwestern United States. Conducted from August 18 to December 1, 2025, this project followed the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework. Educational presentations were delivered to students enrolled in freshman seminar courses over a two-day period, accompanied by distribution of digital flyers and pamphlets. Pre- and post-education Likert-type surveys assessed changes in knowledge and intent related to skin cancer prevention behaviors. Demographic variables gathered included age, gender, and ethnicity. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and the Mann-Whitney U test was applied to evaluate statistical significance. Pre-intervention results revealed knowledge gaps related to skin cancer risk factors, warning signs, and preventive behaviors. Post-intervention analysis demonstrated statistically significant improvements across all measured areas, demonstrating a positive association between the educational intervention, increased knowledge, and participants’ intent to engage in skin-protective behaviors. These findings indicate that targeted educational interventions were associated with significant improvements in skin cancer awareness and preventive intent among young adults, supporting integration of skin cancer education into university health promotion efforts. Further evaluation is warranted to determine the long-term knowledge retention and sustained behavior change.

Keywords

skin cancer, ultraviolet radiation, skin protective practices, prevention, health promotion

Advisor

Dr. Cathryn Preisner

Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

DNP Project

Rights

© The Author

Additional Files
DNP Poster PDF.pdf (118 kB)
Link to Full Text


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