Development of a fertility preservation training programme for breast surgical nurses caring for childbearing-age patients with breast cancer: a Delphi study

Abstract Aims This study aimed to construct a targeted fertility preservation training programme for breast surgical nurses caring for childbearing-age patients with breast cancer. Background Fertility status is a core component of quality of life among childbearing-age patients with breast cancer, which places urgent demands on the fertility preservation competency of breast surgical nurses. Although several educational programs on cancer reproductive care have been reported, a standardized fertility preservation training programme tailored to breast surgical nurses and adapted to the domestic healthcare context and policy priorities in China remains lacking. Methods The preliminary version of the training programme was formulated based on systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews. A two-round Delphi expert consultation was subsequently performed to finalize the formal training programme. Results The finalized programme consisted of four modules: training objectives, training content, training methods, and assessment strategies. The training objectives contained 3 primary indicators and 18 secondary indicators, and the training content comprised 6 primary indicators and 26 secondary indicators. Both training methods and assessment strategies included 6 primary indicators respectively. The valid response rate of both rounds of expert consultation was 100%. The expert authority coefficients were 0.857 and 0.870, and the coefficients of variation ranged from 0 to 0.358 and 0 to 0.196, respectively. Kendall’s coordination coefficients were 0.303 and 0.325 (all P < 0.05), indicating good expert consistency. Conclusions This training programme was developed through a rigorous and standardized process with good expert authority and consensus. Featuring strong specialty relevance and a relatively complete training and assessment system, it can effectively meet the targeted training needs of breast surgical nurses for fertility preservation care. Implications for practice Future studies should implement the programme in clinical nurse training and further verify its practical effectiveness and applicability in real-world clinical settings.