A qualitative exploration of nursing and social work university students’ experiences of sexual and reproductive health and rights education in Australia and Hong Kong

C. Klinner, George Turner, J. Bloomfield, M. Spencer, R. Lovell, C. van Diggele, E. P. H. Choi, J. Y. H. Wong, J. Cui, C. Nugent, H. Chow, A. S. M. Wong, S. J. Roberts, J. Y. T. Lin, C. Fontaine, H. T. H. Wong

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Nursing and social work professionals often exhibit avoidance or a lack of competence in delivering sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) care to service users. When such care is provided, it tends to be heteronormative and deficit focus. Thus, understanding how university education prepares professionals in the field is essential. This study is the first to qualitatively explore SRHR attitudes, learning experiences and educational needs of nursing and social work students in Australia and Hong Kong. Using focus groups, insights were gathered from 19 nursing and 21 social work students across two Australian and three Hong Kong universities. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that, despite regional and disciplinary differences, students’ SRHR educational needs in both regions and disciplines were not being adequately met. This negatively influenced their practical training and the quality of care provided. The study highlights the need to enhance SRHR knowledge and skills in nursing and social work curricula, thereby improving person-centred care. Recommended curriculum enhancements include promoting diversity and inclusivity, adopting a positive framing of sexuality, enhancing critical self-reflection and communication skills, fostering interprofessional learning, developing educators and mentors as role models, and creating safe and inclusive classroom and placement environments.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages15
JournalSex Education
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Open Access - Access Right Statement

© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.

Keywords

  • Sexual and reproductive health and rights
  • university education
  • interprofessional learning
  • nursing
  • social work

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