Nurses' Roles in Managing Erectile Dysfunction: A Mixed-Method Systematic Review

Sexual health is a fundamental aspect of overall well-being, with erectile dysfunction (ED) being one of the most prevalent sexual disorders. Nurses play a crucial role in addressing the needs of patients experiencing ED, yet their specific roles and responsibilities remain underexplored. We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review to examine the general and specific roles of registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in caring for patients with ED. Relevant studies were identified through searches in Academic Search Complete (EBSCO), Embase, PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Two independent researchers assessed the methodological quality of the included studies (N = 14; 12 quantitative and two qualitative) using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist and performed data extraction, transformation, integration, and synthesis. Five responsibilities of nursing roles in ED care were identified: (1) risk factor assessment, (2) needs clarification and/or diagnosis, (3) individual or couple education, (4) facilitation and/or provision of treatment, and (5) continuous monitoring. RNs play a fundamental role in assessing and identifying problems, promoting sexual health, educating and supporting treatment adherence, and facilitating interventions or treatments. In contrast, NPs have a distinct role in monitoring laboratory testing, diagnostics, counseling and treating patients, and collaboration with specialists. Both RNs and NPs use a multidisciplinary approach to provide care activities; RNs provide referrals for to get better services internally or externally, while NPs refer for specialists or urologists' consultations to promote comprehensive care. Findings underscore the need for enhanced education and training programs for RNs-to improve their knowledge of assessment, understanding of ED care-and for NPs-to improve knowledge of diagnosis, counseling, treatment, and patient monitoring-to ensure comprehensive and multidisciplinary ED team care.