title: Progress in sexual counseling by cardiac nurses, 1994 to 2009.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine trends in the practice of sexual counseling by cardiac nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  A non-experimental descriptive design was used to analyze survey data collected at 2 time points: 1994 (n = 171) and 2009 (n = 288).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nurses in the 2009 sample reported more conservative values (P < .001) and greater sense of responsibility for providing sexual counseling (P < .0001) than those in the 1994 sample. Although sexual activities (cuddling, kissing, fondling, masturbation, oral sex) were discussed more frequently by nurses in the 1994 survey (P < .001), improvements in the specific discussion of myocardial infarction-related sexual activity and counseling were noted in the 2009 sample, including by patient age and gender (P < .0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comparison of the 2 data samples suggests an improving trend in provision of sexual counseling by cardiac nurses, which can be reinforced by including sexual counseling information and role-play opportunities in continuing education courses.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas 67260-0041, USA. elaine.steinke@wichita.edu
authors.forename: Elaine E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Steinke
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mosack
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barnason
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003325:Coronary Care Units; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000639:trends; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000639:trends; D012731:Sex Counseling / Q000639:trends*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States