A STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A STRUCTURED TEACHING PROGRAM ON KNOWLEDGE REGARDING BREAST CANCER AMONG 1ST YEAR B.SC. NURSING STUDENTS AT ASRAM COLLEGE OF NURSING, ELURU.

Background: Breast cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide. Despite its prevalence, awareness regarding its risk factors, early detection, and self-examination practices remains inadequate among nursing students. Structured Teaching Programs (STP) can play a crucial role in bridging this knowledge gap. Objectives: (1) To assess the pre-existing knowledge of rst-year B.Sc. Nursing students regarding breast cancer, (2) To evaluate the effectiveness of a Structured Teaching Program (STP) on breast cancer awareness, and (3) To assess the association between post-test knowledge and demographic variables. Methods: A quantitative research approach with a pre-experimental, onegroup pre-test and post-test design was employed. The study involved 50 rst-year B.Sc. Nursing students at ASRAM College of Nursing, Eluru. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire before and after administering an STP on breast cancer. Results: The pre-test results showed that 10% of students had inadequate knowledge, while 90% had moderately adequate knowledge. Post-test ndings indicated that 92% of students achieved adequate knowledge, and 8% had moderately adequate knowledge. The mean pre-test score was 9.44, while the post-test score increased to 16.38. A paired t-test value of 24.9 indicated a highly signicant difference (p < 0.001) between pre-test and post-test scores. There was no signicant association between demographic variables and post-test knowledge levels. Conclusion: The Structured Teaching Program was highly effective in enhancing the knowledge of nursing students regarding breast cancer. The study highlights the importance of incorporating breast cancer education into the nursing curriculum to improve early detection and preventive practices.