Abstract:
INTRODUCTION: cervical cancer is highly preventable
and curable if diagnosed and treated early,
however, it is still the leading cause of death among
women. Despite efforts to increase cervical cancer
screening, its uptake is still low. The purpose of the
study was to investigate the perspectives of
registered nurses on barriers of cervical cancer
screening in Swaziland. METHODS: an exploratory
qualitative design was used for the study. Face to
face in depth interviews were conducted with 15
registered nurses using an interview guide. The
study was conducted in four clinics from both the private and public sectors, which were purposively
sampled. Interviews were captured using an audio
recording device, they were transcribed verbatim
and then analysed using thematic analysis.
RESULTS: four themes emerged which were
deterrents to cervical cancer screening. These were
perceived client barriers, health care system related
barriers, nurse related barriers and the nature of
the procedure. CONCLUSION: these barriers to service
provision need to be addressed by extensive health
education to women as well as the cervical cancer
screening programme to provide all resources
required to increase the uptake of screening.
