Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Nurses face higher levels of stress with adverse health outcomes compared to other health professions. Perceived stress is linked to reduced physical/psychological health, increased sickness/absence, increased staff turnover, and poor job performance. Nursing students must attain a unique skill set in their education for resilience while managing physical and mental stressors of challenging nursing curricula. Nurses are often exposed to inappropriate patient sexual behavior (IPSB). IPSB is defined as any “verbal or physical act of an explicit, or perceived sexual nature which is unacceptable within the social context in which it is carried out.” IPSB and how it relates to sexual harassment is not clear. Sexual harassment by patients is a significant problem and nurses consistently report sexual harassment by their patients more than any other healthcare sector. This study’s purpose is to investigate the prevalence of IPSB in undergraduate nursing clinicals, nursing students’ coping ability, and to offer tailored interventions to aid students cope with trying patient encounters. Participants were undergraduate nursing students enrolled in clinicals. Out of the 72.5% students experiencing IPSB, 96.5% identified as female. While all students reported overall discomfort in coping with IPSB, taking action during the time of harassment was identified as causing the most distress. IPSB does not fall within the parameters of established university support protocols, placing undergraduate nursing students in a vulnerable position that does not encourage a strong foundation of resilience, health and wellness. To address this crucial gap, a support system for undergraduate nursing students must be developed.