Did I learn enough to practice? Reflections of new nurse practitioner graduates in providing sexual and reproductive health care

Sexual and reproductive health content in Australian pre-registration nursing and midwifery programs: A review of curricula

AIM

To identify and examine sexual and reproductive health (SRH) content in Australia's pre-registration undergraduate and postgraduate Nursing and Midwifery program curricula.

BACKGROUND

Sexual and reproductive healthcare, integral to women's well-being, relies on Nursing and Midwifery workforce. However, it is unknown how pre-registration curricula prepares nurses and midwives to provide this care, despite international imperatives to enhance access.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study METHODS: Between November 2022 and March 2023, we examined pre-registration Nursing and Midwifery programs across all Australian universities. Data were collected from publicly accessible online program information (unit handbooks, with unit coordinators were contacted for additional details when needed. Counts and percentages were used to summarize data using a term matrix designed for retrieval and coding into 'explicit', 'implicit' or 'no mention' categories.

RESULTS

From 37 universities, 92 units from 86 pre-registration programs were included and reviewed. A total of 44 (47.8 %) of the unit outlines and 6 (6.5 %) of the unit names contained explicit terms. The most common explicit term was 'reproductive health' (102, 57.9 %), following by violence (42, 22.6 %) and all were covered in undergraduate-level programs. However, abortion care was not found in any of the reviewed curricula.

CONCLUSIONS

There is limited content on SRH in the online handbooks of Australian pre-registration Nursing and Midwifery programs. This study recommends a more comprehensive inclusion of SRH content, particularly abortion care, in pre-registration courses to ensure that nurses and midwives receive comprehensive knowledge in this area.

Improving Knowledge and Competency in Gender-Affirming Patient Care Among New Nurses in Sexual and Reproductive Health Care

OBJECTIVE

To improve knowledge and competency in providing gender-affirming patient care among newly licensed registered nurses (RNs) working in sexual and reproductive health (SRH).

DESIGN

Pilot, pretest/posttest, descriptive design.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Participating RNs were employed at a large academic health center in the southeastern United States. All RNs were providing SRH nursing and participating in the health center's new nurse residency program.

METHODS AND INTERVENTION

Participants completed an online synchronous training that introduced topics such as sex versus gender, gender dysphoria, and health disparities. This education was followed by in-person training, where an unfolding case study applied concepts to theoretical patient scenarios specific to reproductive health. Participants completed a 20-item survey with a single assessment retrospective pre-post design to measure change in knowledge and competency.

RESULTS

Twelve RNs participated in this pilot study. Fewer than half had previously received instruction on providing care to trans∗ persons. Seven self-perceived knowledge and competency areas were evaluated with paired retrospective pre-post design questions. All areas measured showed increases from pretraining to posttraining. Participants also had the opportunity to respond to open-ended questions. Common themes identified in these responses include participants planning to maintain a greater awareness and intentionality with language and abandoning cisgender assumptions. Several participants also described health care-specific systemic barriers that could prevent a trans∗ patient from feeling comfortable.

CONCLUSION

Providing new graduate nurses with education specific to trans∗ patients may help them to feel more knowledgeable and competent when caring for these individuals in SRH settings.

Global research trends in sexual health care: A bibliometric and visualized study

No Patient or Public Contribution, because the relevant data of this article comes from the literature database.

PURPOSE

The present study aimed to investigate the trends and research status of sexual healthcare.

METHODS

We searched the Web of Science database for relevant articles concerning sexual healthcare, published between 2009 and 31 December 2022. Data collected include: the number of publications, authors, journals, countries, institutions, keywords. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to conduct the bibliometric study and visualise the analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 1450 publications were included. The number of publications on sexual healthcare shows a fluctuating upward trend, and a stable core group of authors has been formed. The Journal of Clinical Nursing published the most articles on sexual healthcare (140 publications). The United States of America published the most articles (723, 49.86%). The research institution with the highest number of publications is the University of São Paulo. According to the keyword, timeline view and prominence mapping analysis, we believe that 'Female sexual health', 'HIV', 'LGBT' and 'Sexual Healthcare Services' may be new research hotspots in the field of sexual healthcare.

CONCLUSION

This study describes the research status of sexual healthcare research over the past 14 years. The findings of this study can provide helpful reference and guidance for the development trend and research direction of sexual healthcare.

The practice of pregnancy options counseling in social service and healthcare settings in the United States: a systematic literature review

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this systematic literature was to summarize the literature on pregnancy options counseling for women and patients who experience an unintended pregnancy across healthcare and social service settings.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature review using the PRISMA Checklist. Following the literature search of 8 electronic databases, we used a three-stage search process to screen articles for inclusion.

RESULTS

A total of 20 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria for this study. Half (n = 10) of the articles reviewed were empirical studies utilizing quantitative or qualitative methodology while the other half (n = 10) were conceptual or non-empirical. The articles affirmed a shared definition of pregnancy options counseling, but terminology differences were noted over time. Lastly, variations of intervention practices appeared across practice settings, with referral practice variations being the most notable.

CONCLUSION

Pregnancy options counseling practices varied across settings, suggesting patients who received this intervention may not have accessed equitable or ethical care.

The barriers and enablers to accessing sexual health and sexual well-being services for midlife women (aged 40-65 years) in high-income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review

Midlife, beginning at 40 years and extending to 65 years, a range that encompasses the late reproductive to late menopausal stages, is a unique time in women's lives, when hormonal and physical changes are often accompanied by psychological and social evolution. Access to sexual health and sexual well-being (SHSW) services, which include the prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, contraception and the support of sexual function, pleasure and safety, is important for the health of midlife women, their relationships and community cohesion. The objective was to use the socio-ecological model to synthesise the barriers and enablers to SHSW services for midlife women in high-income countries. A systematic review of the enablers and barriers to women (including trans-gender and non-binary people) aged 40-65 years accessing SHSW services in high-income countries was undertaken. Four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Google Scholar) were searched for peer-reviewed publications. Findings were thematically extracted and reported in a narrative synthesis. Eighty-one studies were included; a minority specifically set out to study SHSW care for midlife women. The key barriers that emerged were the intersecting disadvantage of under-served groups, poor knowledge, about SHSW, and SHSW services, among women and their healthcare professionals (HCPs), and the over-arching effect of stigma, social connections and psychological factors on access to care. Enablers included intergenerational learning, interdisciplinary and one-stop women-only services, integration of SHSW into other services, peer support programmes, representation of minoritised midlife women working in SHSW, local and free facilities and financial incentives to access services for under-served groups. Efforts are needed to enhance education about SHSW and related services among midlife women and their healthcare providers. This increased education should be leveraged to improve research, public health messaging, interventions, policy development and access to comprehensive services, especially for midlife women from underserved groups.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Content in the 3 Ps in Nurse Practitioner Education

BACKGROUND

Nurse practitioners (NPs) in primary care provide sexual and reproductive health care, an integral component of health and well-being. This study explored the degree of inclusion of sexual and reproductive health content in the foundational courses in NP preparation including advanced health assessment, advanced physiology and pathophysiology, and advanced pharmacology, known as the 3 Ps.

METHOD

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 NPs in their first 2 years of practice.

RESULTS

Sexual and reproductive health content was well integrated into advanced assessment courses, although participants wanted more comfort and skill with discussing sensitive sexual health issues. Advanced pharmacology and advanced pathophysiology courses were not likely to include the content.

CONCLUSION

Interactive learning opportunities, such as simulation with feedback, promote communication skills with sensitive health issues. Foundational courses would benefit from a deeper understanding of the menstrual cycle, sexual functioning, and medications specific to sexual and reproductive health. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(3):131-136.].