UNDERSTANDING SEXUALITY 1

Understanding Sexuality in Adolescent Patients:

The Art of Communicating Without Bias

Jonnie Dennis

Kennesaw State University

WellStar School of Nursing

Author Note

Jonnie Dennis https://nursejonniernbsn.weebly.com/

I have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Email: jdenni62@students.kennesaw.edu
UNDERSTANDING SEXUALITY 2

Abstract

As things change within the world, it is apparent that one thing to be addressed is the subject of

sexuality. Rural areas tend to have the highest rates of teenage pregnancy with the least amount

of education. Statistics have shown the LGBTQ+ among adolescents have increased but the

communication between nurses and adolescents is not up to par when addressing the issue. This

paper will address the communication between the nurse and adolescent when addressing

sexuality.

Keywords: sexuality and the adolescent, LGBTQ+ in the teenage patient, communication

in nursing,
UNDERSTANDING SEXUALITY 3

Course Description

This course is designed to help nurses communicate with adolescent patients. With the

growing rise in LGBTQ+ adolescents, the need for better communication is on the rise. This

course will touch on the many areas of sexuality, to include gender and gender roles, sexual

orientation, pregnancy and birth control, as well as pornography. The course will also help the

nurse understand the essentials of the communication process, identify potential communication

problems, develop positive communication skills and develop strategies when they are

approached with a problem they have not encountered.

Student Learning Environment

Audience

The ideal audience would be nurses, whether a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse

or nursing student.

Modality

The ideal is for the course to be given in person. With this in person course, the plan is

also to have adolescents who come in to help with the communication component in the class.

Although the original plan is for the course to be taught in person, there must be a contingency

plan for if that is not possible. One alternative approach is to teach the class on Zoom. This

would also allow for questions and class participation. The objective with modality is to be in an

environment where questions can be asked and answered in real time.

Learning Environment/Preparation Work

UNDERSTANDING SEXUALITY 4

The best learning environment is in person. This would allow for role-playing, real-time

questions and answer sessions, as well as collaboration with other nurses.

There is not any one thing which would help with preparation for the course. As with any

nursing course, the nurse should bring her prior knowledge of effective communication, any

information she already knows about sexuality and adolescent patients and the best ways to

combine the two.

Course Content

As previously stated, there are a number of components to be addressed in this course. The

course will contain gender and gender roles, sexual orientation, birth control and pregnancy. In

addition to those components, there will be a discussion of effective communication and

communication with adolescents. Although sexuality will be covered, the most important

component is being able to communicate effectively these things with the adolescent patient.

The key components of the course will include:

a. Gender and gender roles

b. Sexual orientation

c. Birth control and pregnancy

d. Effective communication

e. Communication with adolescents

Time Allotment vs Time for Course

UNDERSTANDING SEXUALITY 5

The ideal would be a course over one day for 8 hours. The participants are advised this is not to

be an in-depth course but an overview of components. The educator realizes this will not be

enough time to get in-depth with all of the components in the course, but it will provide a

detailed overview of information. Using the listing above of components, the breakdown would

go as follows:

a. Gender and Gender Roles: 45 minutes

b. Sexual orientation: 45 minutes

c. Birth Control and pregnancy: 45 minutes

d. Effective communication: 90 minutes (about 1 and a half hours)

e. Communication with adolescents: 90 minutes (about 1 and a half hours)

f. Lunch: 60 minutes

g. Post test: 60 minutes

h. Questions/Review: 45 minutes

This takes validates the full 480 minutes (about 8 hours) allotted for the day. The participants

would be advised time can be shorter or longer based on how each component breaks down.

There will be a refresher course added at a later date to see how well the participants understood

the material and if it was useful in their own practice.

Learning Theory

For this course, a few learning theories are used. The main theory to be used is the humanistic

theory. Using the assumption that every individual is unique, this theory focuses on caring and

patient centeredness. This helps the nurse connect to the patient by seeing them as an individual
UNDERSTANDING SEXUALITY 6

with their own thoughts and emotions. This should be the most important factor in

communicating with adolescents. With where they are in development, it is important for them

to feel as if they are seen and heard.

Another theory used is cognitive development. This will help the nurse relate to the

patient in knowing the stage of the adolescent's perceptions and reasoning. When talking to the

patient, the nurse wants to make sure to reach the patient at their level and speak in language

which is understood by the patient.

Lastly is connectivism. This learning theory suggests the nurse will have an

understanding of how to communicate based on past experiences. This will allow the nurse to

pull in what she already knows in addtion to what she will be learning, to have a good outcome

with communication.

Objectives/Outcomes

The major objective or outcome of this course is to develop effective communication when it

comes to teaching and speaking with adolescent patients about sexuality. The goal is to teach the

nurse to identify his or her own bias and to then put it aside to address the patient. Another goal

is for the nurse to understand sexuality better as it pertains to younger patients.

Teaching Strategies

Teaching methods used in this class will include videos, role playing, closed loop feedback as

well as an end of course exam. The video will pertain to the class subject. Role playing will be

completed with actual adolescents as opposed to acting out the role with other nurses. This will

give the nurses a chance to honestly communicate with the younger patient. Although the young
UNDERSTANDING SEXUALITY 7

patients will work off a script, this will not be information given to the class prior to

participation. This will allow honest responses to be given from the nurses. The closed loop

feedback will allow questions to be addressed and answered during the course. It will be

encouraged for nurses to self-evaluate as well as evaluate their peers. This will also allow the

adolescent patient to speak about how they felt about the conversation with the nurse they were

paired with.

Assessment Strategies

The assessment for this course will come in the form of a post-test as well as role playing.

The role playing will not come as a numeric grade but in the form of constructive criticism. The

role play is to show what could be done differently or what could be done to produce a better

outcome. The posttest will be an actual numeric grade with the goal being a minimum of 80%.

The participants will have the opportunity to ask questions prior to the post exam. This leads one

to think maybe there should be a pre-test to see the baseline for the class. This pre-test is

something which could be completed prior to class so not to take time away from the teaching

material.

Bringing It All Together

From beginning to end, the goal is to bring all the information together in ways which will help

the nurse communicate more effectively with the adolescent patient. The nurse will see where

her foundation knowledge lies and build upon it. Each step should build upon the last in order to

have effective communication when speaking to patients. If we follow one nurse from beginning

to ending, he or she could explain how it started off with what they knew. From there, the course
UNDERSTANDING SEXUALITY 8

will start to go over what will be taught as part of the course. A lunch break then back to address

the communication part of the course. With role play added, these steps should offer learning for

the nurse which will translate into better practice.

References

•Springer Publishing Company. (2022). Teaching in nursing and role of the educator.
•Unesco. (n.d.). Why comprehensive sexuality education is important. UNESCO.org. Retrieved April 14,
2023, from https://www.unesco.org/en
•Winters, C. A. (2022). Rural Nursing: Concepts, theory, practice. Springer Pub. Co.
•For young LGBTQ LIVES. The Trevor Project. (2023, February 27). Retrieved April 14, 2023, from
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

UNDERSTANDING SEXUALITY 9