The sexuality of the stomized patient in speech of the nurse

Abstract

Some gastrointestinal diseases culminate in surgical stomas, which can be permanent or temporary. These stomas lead to numerous life changes, adaptations, and different emotional reactions in those afflicted. Sexuality is a part one's cultural background and influences the quality of life. The objective was to identify how nurses deal and discuss sexuality in the perioperative period of the patient with surgical stomas. A qualitative research was conducted to this end. It used content analysis as a methodological approach and the collection of verbal data took place through individual and semi-structured interviews. The instrument for the interviews was created by the researchers and subdivided in two stages. The first included identification and professional aspects and the second, issues directly related at the theme. Among the 18 nurses interviewed, the age average was 30.4 years old and most were females. Regarding their professional profile, they had been graduated, on average, for 6.7 years and 12 of them had been working in the health unit for less than a year. Six categories emerge from verbal data analysis: "perception of sexuality", "vocational training", "feelings", "surgical stoma implications", and "partner inclusion". The research led interviewees to reflect upon the theme, encouraging the search for guidance, as well as generating a proposal of professional training support. It is important to reconsider the assistance aimed at the biomedical model and approach more subjective aspects of human life as a way of achieving health promotion standards.