NURSING PRACTICE

Nursing Practice Management



Nursing Practice Management

Introduction

“Human sexuality encompasses the sexual knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviours of individuals. Its various dimensions involve the anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of the sexual response system; identity, orientation, roles, and personality; and thoughts, feelings, and relationships. Sexuality is influenced by ethical, spiritual, cultural, and moral concerns.”

The above definition presented by the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States  (SIECUS) demonstrates the complexity of this multi-facet concept. This complex behaviour will be analysed in an attempt to clarify its meaning, however the Nursing implications towards sexuality will further be emphasised. Aware of the limitations, it is not possible to analyse and present all the complexities and numerous attributes which this concept brings about. It is therefore the author's intention to assign the attributes under three major categories namely the physical, social and psychological aspects of life and present model cases by using three important attributes which emerge from these same categories.

 

Purpose and Aims of the study

The concept of sexuality has been selected for analysis. The author believes that we need sexuality as much as we need our daily bread, however although it is considered as a natural process, many perceive sexuality as a taboo.

“Sexual behaviour, more than any other behaviour, is intimately related to our emotional and social well being; yet it is misunderstood, feared and misused” (Kuczynski 1986:60).

In this analysis the author will therefore aim at clarifying the meaning of sexuality by distinguishing the normal, ordinary language usage and its scientific use from a nursing perspective.

Uses of the concept

The Collins dictionary (1991) gives three definitions of sexuality namely:

            1)         The state or quality of being sexual.

            2)         Preoccupation with or involvement in sexual matters.

            3)         The possession of sexual potency.

All three definitions mention the word sexual, however one can associate each meaning with three major categories or states of our life. The first definition is closely related to the psychological being, the second definition to the social being, and the third definition to the physical being. These sexual associations have been clearly identified by several authors including Webb (1985, 1994) and Ooijen and Charneck (1994). Stuart and Sundeen (1979) encompass these three aspects in their own definition and state that:

“Sexuality is an integral part of the whole person. Human beings are sexual in every way, all the time. To a large extent human sexuality determines who we are. It is an integral factor in the uniqueness of every person” (page 2).

This definition highlights attributes such as wholeness, identity, and uniqueness. Ironically though, contrary to the wholeness attribute, the word sex is derived from the Latin word sexus which means secare or in plain English to divide (Collins dictionary 1991). However Ooijen and Charneck (1994) argue that sex relates more to the physiological act and the biological state as opposed to sexuality which, besides biological, in the broader term encompass the cultural, social, psychological, and moral behaviour of our sexual behaviour.

Up to this end, the word sexuality seems to be ...