title: Knowledge, attitudes and awareness of the human papillomavirus amongst primary care practice nurses: an evaluation of current training in England.
abstract: The incorporation of Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing into the English cervical screening programme has been met with fear and anxiety. Healthcare professionals need to be adequately informed about HPV to help alleviate patient concerns. The aim of this study was to evaluate the HPV training provided to practice nurses (PNs) and determine their level of HPV knowledge.
  
  
  
  A web-based survey was distributed to 147 General Practice surgeries in the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland regions, between May and July 2015. The survey explored four broad areas; demographics/level of experience, HPV knowledge, attitudes towards the HPV vaccine and self-perceived adequacy of HPV knowledge.
  
  
  
  A total of 128 surveys were completed, with 94 complete responses. Overall awareness of basic HPV facts was adequate; however, detailed, and in some cases basic, knowledge was lacking. 9.6% failed to identify that HPV can cause cervical cancer and 62.8% believed that HPV requires treatment. Not all PNs felt adequately informed about HPV and a need to improve the provision of training was identified.
  
  
  
  PNs play a key role in increasing public awareness of HPV and implementing cervical cancer screening. The provision of education to PNs needs to be a priority and current methods of training need to be re-evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology, University Hospitals Leicester, Gwendolen Road, Leicester LE5 4PW, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology, Kettering General Hospital, Rothwell Road, KetteringNN16 8UZ, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Austin-Smith
authors.affiliation: Keele University, StaffordshireST5 5BG,UK.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.affiliation: University of Leicester, Centre for Medicine, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tincello
authors.affiliation: University Hospitals Leicester, Gwendolen Road, Leicester LE5 4PW, UK.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Moss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D059017:Primary Care Nursing / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology
keywords: education; employment and skills, population-based and preventative
                      services; screening