This study adopted a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the impact of a sexual health training session on undergraduate nursing students’ confidence, knowledge, and comfort in discussing and assessing patients’ sexual and reproductive health. The intervention was framed using the 6Ps model and grounded in trauma-informed care principles. The study was conducted at Queen’s University Belfast, involving final-year adult nursing students. A total of 98 third-year undergraduate adult nursing students participated in the pre- and post-intervention survey. Attendance at the training session was part of the curriculum, while survey participation was voluntary. Most students (n = 81) had not received prior training in sexual health and reported limited opportunities to discuss sexual health during clinical placements. Baseline data revealed low confidence and knowledge in this area, with identified barriers including embarrassment, lack of privacy, and cultural/religious concerns. Following the training, statistically significant improvements were observed across all measured domains: comfort (Z= -7.431 to -8.118; p<.001), confidence (Z= -7.434 to -8.278; p<.001), and knowledge (Z= -7.606 to -7.996; p<.001). Open-text responses indicated enhanced awareness of holistic assessment, greater familiarity with sensitive topics such as Chemex and HIV transmission, and improved skills in initiating conversations with patients. A short educational intervention significantly enhanced nursing students’ knowledge and confidence in sexual and reproductive health assessment. Findings underscore the need for further curriculum development and integration of trauma-informed, evidence-based sexual health training using the 6Ps framework in undergraduate nursing programmes. Not applicable.
Clare et al. (Thu,) studied this question.