A questionnaire survey of the provision of training in human sexuality in schools of nursing in the UK

Abstract

The inconsistent and haphazard approach to the provision of training in human sexuality to health professionals in the UK and elsewhere has been a matter of concern for over half a century. This article discusses the implications of findings from a questionnaire survey of 41 schools of nursing in the UK regarding their provision of training in human sexuality. Schools of nursing were chosen, as nurses form by far the largest employment group in the NHS today. The aim of this questionnaire survey was to obtain information on the provision of training in human sexuality in schools of nursing in the UK. The 20-item mixed qualitative and quantitative questionnaire was designed to elicit maximum information about research questions, it was independently validated after focus group discussion. The results drawn from this study will be primarily presented as observations, rather than statistically tested statements. The provision of training in human sexuality in the pre-registration nursing curricula in the UK is inadequate to meet the current varied needs of patients. On average, a mere 6.8 hours out of a potential 2300 hours of theoretical learning is dedicated to teaching human sexuality in schools of health in the UK. This is considerably less time than is dedicated to other areas of learning within the curriculum. The overall provision of training in human sexuality in the nursing curricula does not seem to have significantly improved, regardless of pleas from such esteemed bodies as the World Health Organisation and others.