Chinese nurses' attitudes and beliefs toward sexuality care in cancer patients.

BACKGROUND

The importance of having nurses address patients' sexuality concerns is emphasized by a growing body of literature. Most relevant studies were conducted in Western cultural settings.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to describe Chinese nurses' attitudes and beliefs regarding sexuality care in cancer patients.

METHODS

A descriptive and correlation design was adopted. Data were collected by an inventory of Sexuality Attitudes and Beliefs Survey.

RESULTS

Oncology nurses (n = 199) were recruited from a tumor hospital in China. The study results indicate that most Chinese nurses (76.4%) perceived sexuality as too private an issue to discuss with cancer patients, and 63.8% assumed that most cancer patients lacked interest in sexuality because of their illnesses. The results also show that most nurses (77.9%) did not make time to discuss sexuality issues with patients, and nearly 70% did not feel confident and comfortable discussing cancer patients' sexuality concerns.

CONCLUSION

Helping nurses overcome barriers to addressing patients' sexuality concerns requires a careful assessment of their attitudes and beliefs. This study added insights into Chinese nurses' attitudes and beliefs surrounding the sexuality issues of cancer patients.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

In this study, nurses reported that they were less likely to make time to discuss sexuality issues with cancer patients; thus, future research needs to identify specific factors keeping nurses from incorporating sexuality care into practice. Additionally, most nurses felt less confident and uncomfortable in addressing cancer patients' sexuality concerns. More training related to sexuality care is needed for Chinese nurses.