Date Approved
2026
Degree Type
Open Access Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department or School
Teacher Education
Committee Member
Christopher Robbins, PhD
Committee Member
Robert Carpenter, PhD
Committee Member
Caroline Peltz, PhD
Committee Member
Paul Ramsey, PhD
Abstract
Sex education has been a part of the education in the United States for over 100 years. Nursing education is focused on educating nursing students in a comprehensive fashion that develops a safe and competent nurse. Due to the substantial scope of content required in nursing programs, sexual health topics can be pushed aside. This may result in gaps in sexual health knowledge and comfort for nursing students as they may be inadequately prepared to competently address patients’ sexual health needs in clinical practice. The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive study is to examine nursing students knowledge and comfort levels in providing sexual health education. Prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing students comprised this study sample, which yielded N = 265 participants. This study was conducted using a survey through Google Forms. Data was downloaded into SPSS, and descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. It was found that there was a selfreported moderate level of sexual health knowledge and a self-reported moderate level of comfort in providing sexual health education. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between knowledge and comfort. The more sexual health knowledge students had, the more comfortable they were in providing sexual health education. Political affiliation of participants showed the most statistical significance. Independents were more knowledgeable in sexual health when compared with the participants in the “prefer not to answer” group, Democrats were more comfortable in providing sexual health education when compared with the “prefer not to answer” group, and Independents and Democrats both had more LGBTQIA+ knowledge when compared with the “prefer not to answer” group. Findings from this study demonstrate that it is vital to ensure sexual health content is appropriately contained within nursing curricula and nursing educational experiences. This ensures that nursing students have the didactic and clinical educational experiences needed to graduate at a level of competence for safe nursing practice.
Recommended Citation
Gower, Deanna M., "Examining knowledge and comfort levels of nursing students in providing sexual health education" (2026). Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. 1352.
https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1352