Premium
Preparing Student Nurses as Parent‐based Adolescent Sexual Health Educators: Results of a Pilot Study
Author(s) -
Santa Maria Diane,
Markham Christine,
Crandall Stacy,
GuilamoRamos Vincent
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/phn.12262
Subject(s) - reproductive health , nursing , thematic analysis , public health , medicine , health promotion , health care , family medicine , health education , public health nursing , intervention (counseling) , psychology , medical education , qualitative research , population , environmental health , social science , sociology , economics , economic growth
Objectives While health promotion and patient education are central to the scope of practice of professional nurses, they often feel ill‐equipped to assume the role of sexual health educator and lack adequate knowledge and skills to effectively engage parents in adolescent sexual and reproductive health efforts. Design and Sample Employing a mixed‐methods study consisting of both pre‐ and post‐test survey and exit interviews, a pilot study was conducted to assess the impact of implementing a parent‐based adolescent sexual health intervention on baccalaureate nursing student outcomes ( N = 31). Results We found statistically significant improvements in student outcome expectancies of parenting strategies, barriers to sexual health communication, self‐efficacy, and sexual health counseling experience. Using thematic content analysis of exit interview content, emerging themes were (1) need for increased sexual and reproductive health (SRH) preparation, (2) wanting greater experience and opportunity for involvement in nursing research, and (3) educational gaps in family‐focused community public health. Conclusions Incorporating adolescent sexual health education into public health nursing clinical training can prepare nurses as parent‐based adolescent sexual health educators, a core competency for nurses working with families in communities and across all health care delivery settings.