Nurses' provision of teaching and counselling on sexuality: a review of the literature.

Patients' sexual concerns and problems are a focus for nursing care. Research studies with nurses, patients and healthy adults support this assertion. However, investigations also identify that specific teaching, supporting and/or counselling interventions aimed at managing the effects of illness and treatment on sexual function are not provided most of the time. This discrepancy can be analysed by exploring factors that influence the nursing care behaviours: sex teaching and counselling. Investigators have studied the influence of the following five factors: (sexuality) knowledge and skills, attitude towards sexuality, opinion about professional role and tasks, comfort with sexuality, and participation in continuing education activities. Conflicting findings regarding the influence of these five factors upon teaching and counselling on sexuality are found. Predicted upon previous investigations, two specific areas for future investigations are identified. First is the need to clarify the definition and theoretical basis for the interventions of teaching and counselling on sexuality. Second, future investigations could place the problem within the context of theory which helps to explain (nursing) behaviour, such as the Theory of Reasoned Action.