Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
5-2015
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Program
Nursing
Advisor
Keville Frederickson
Subject Categories
Nursing
Keywords
Nurse Practitioners; Nursing Assessments; phenomenology; Self concept; Sexual Health; van Manen
Abstract
Sexuality incorporates a multitude of feelings including beliefs, fantasies, and aspects of pleasure, intimacy, and reproduction. In addition, sexuality involves rights to gender identity and role, sexual acts and orientation. Sexual and reproductive health and rights is a global health, development, and human rights priority. Universal access to sexual and reproductive health is essential. Negative sexual health outcomes are increasing in the United States and sexuality is often a neglected area for health providers including nurses. With an increasing share of the primary care services nationally, family nurse practitioners (FNPs) have the means to provide quality sexual health care across the life span and improve universal access and sexual health outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of female FNPs when performing sexual health assessments on their adult clients in primary care. Family nurse practitioners are educated and trained to provide holistic, client centered nursing care inclusive of sexual health assessments. The study included in-depth interviews with ten female FNPs. These interviews were analyzed using van Manen's interpretive phenomenological approach. The Self-Concept Mode of The Roy Adaptation Model guided this study. Understanding the phenomenon of the lived experience of female FNPs illuminated the common experiences and shared meanings for FNPs. The interpretive statement was: The performance of a sexual health assessment by FNPs on their adult clients in primary care is the development of presence and prudence in relation to their level of their self-concept. Since sexual health affects all human beings, there are global nursing implications for education, practice, and research in understanding the meanings of the essential themes of presence, prudence, and self-concept.
Recommended Citation
Lloyd, Madeleine Mary, "The Lived Experience of Family Nurse Practitioners Performing Sexual Health Assessments" (2015). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/1025