Assessing and addressing inappropriate sexual behavior in brain-injured clients.
Inappropriate sexual comments and behaviors from clients with brain injuries can be frustrating, awkward, and time consuming for the nurses who are caring for them. Understanding the meaning of these comments and behaviors, as well as receiving direction concerning ways to handle the situation can help nurses overcome their frustration and improve the quality of nursing care. This article examines potential underlying causes of inappropriate sexual behavior, explains the behaviors from client, family, staff, and organizational perspectives, and begins to look at ways to respectfully and sensitively address the behaviors using a model and framework developed by the Sexual Health Service (SHS) at Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre (VHHSC), in British Columbia, Canada.
Lawrie
Barbara
B
School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. blawrie@vanhosp.bc.ca
Jillings
Carol
C
D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D019145:Rehabilitation Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D012649:Self Concept; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D019968:Sexual and Gender Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology