Problem and Significance
Research has shown that diabetes, heart disease, stroke, chronic lung disease, and arthritis can all impact the patient and their partner's sexual function, sexual self-concept, and sexual relationships. Self-help groups and health care organizations have published patient education materials available on the Web for patients and their partners that address these sexual concerns. However, studies have found that staff nurses ignore patients' sexual concerns.
Objectives
This presentation will outline strategies nurses can use to address the sexual concerns of their clients by accessing patient education materials readily available from Internet sources. The author uses these sources when consulting with nurses, and when teaching both graduate and undergraduate students. One advantage of addressing sexual concerns is that adherence to the diet and exercise recommendations for the chronic illnesses mentioned also has the potential to increase sexual function in both men and women, thus intimacy may be a motivator for clients in managing their chronic illnesses.
Methods
Reliable and appropriate internet resources will be identified and made available to all CNSs attending this session. Recommendations for implementing the use of these resources focusing on the leadership skills of the CNS in bringing about change will also be presented.
Practice Change
As nurses begin to address the sexual concerns of patients that arise because of chronic illness, the quality of life of the clients will be enhanced. Providing patients with patient education handouts and helpful internet sites requires little time on the part of the nurse, and can be incorporated as a normal part of client education activities.
Conclusion
Staff nurses working in acute care, long-term care, and community settings can all utilize these strategies to enhance the quality of life of their patients.
Section Description
This year's annual NACNS conference is planned for Orlando, Fla, March 9-12, 2005. Over 300 clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are expected to attend, and as with past conferences, attendees will also include graduate faculty from CNS programs, nurse administrators, and nurse researchers. The theme of the conference, CNS Leadership: Navigating the Healthcare Environment Toward Excellence, was selected to showcase the many ways CNSs acquire and disseminate knowledge and innovative practices in their specialty areas. Two preconference sessions are scheduled. One session, sponsored by NACNS Legislative/Regulatory Committee, targets information for CNSs interested in understanding the legislative/regulatory process as it deals with the practice of nursing, and will also help build skills CNSs need to engage in the process. The second session, sponsored by NACNS Education Committee, focuses on CNS education issues, and as with the education preconferences of past years, anticipates informative dialogue and much sharing among CNS educators around curriculum design, teaching strategies, and indicators of quality in the curriculum that link to the NACNS education standards to program review and excellence. The conference planning committee is proud and pleased to have Jeanette Ives Erickson, MS, RN, CNA, Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive of Massachusetts General Hospital as the opening keynote speaker. She will begin the conference by highlighting the importance of CNS practice on patient safety. The planning committee is equally proud and pleased to have NACNS past-president Rhonda Scott, PhD, RN, Chief Nursing Officer of Grady Health System as the closing speaker. Dr Scott will challenge attendees to use the information from the conference to shape quality care delivered in a safe environment and to advance the profession of nursing through direct care to clients, influencing standards of care delivered by other nurses, and influencing the healthcare delivery system to be to support innovative, cost-effective, quality nursing care. A total of 64 abstracts for podium and poster presentations were selected in addition to graduate student posters. The abstracts address the 3 spheres of CNS practice with a strong emphasis on clinical practice improvements. As you will note from the abstracts published in this issue of the journal, specialty practice areas represented in the abstracts include children, adults, and gerontological patient groups; hospital, outpatient, and home care settings, and community health. In addition, a wide variety of specialty topics including smoking cessation programs, end-of-life care issues, and protocols outlining nursing approaches to improved diabetes, cardiovascular and ventilator management. A number of the abstracts described hospital and healthcare system level innovations that resulted from CNS practice. Collectively, these abstracts reflect the breadth, depth, and richness of CNS contributions to the well-being of individuals, families, groups, and communities. The following abstracts are from those presenters who elected to have their work published in the journal so those who are unable to attend this year's conference can share in the knowledge of the conference. As you read each abstract, consider the talent and clinical scholarship of your CNS colleagues who are advancing the practice of nursing and contributing to improved outcomes for patients and healthcare organizations. You may want to contact individual presenters to network, collaborate, consult, or share your own ideas about these topics. Watch for next year's call for abstracts and consider submitting an abstract for presentation at NACNS's next conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, March 15-18, 2006.