Nurses' attitudes toward sexuality in adolescent patients

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Adolescent Health
• Sexual Health

Background:

• Adolescent sexuality is a critical aspect of patient care.
• Nurses play a vital role in addressing patients' sexual health needs.
• Understanding nurses' perspectives is essential for improving care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey the sexual attitudes of nurses caring for adolescents.
• To examine the nursing practice related to adolescent sexuality.
• To identify barriers in providing sexual health education and counseling.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive study utilizing a questionnaire.
• Surveyed 39 nurses in a metropolitan teaching hospital.
• Questionnaire included Likert scale and yes/no items.

Main Results:

• Nurses acknowledged the importance of sexuality for adolescent patients.
• Nurses were theoretically capable of addressing sexual health issues.
• Nurses reported discomfort incorporating sexuality, counseling, and education into practice.

Conclusions:

• Despite recognizing the importance of adolescent sexual health, nurses face challenges in practice.
• Further training and support are needed to enhance nurses' confidence and skills.
• Integrating sexual health discussions into routine nursing care requires attention.