Oncology nurses’ attitudes, knowledge and practices in providing sexuality care to cancer patients: A scoping review

Sexual health in cancer care is often overlooked. This study examines oncology nurses’ knowledge and practices regarding sexuality care, identifying barriers and facilitators. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-guided search of Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and EBSCO focused on studies from 2014 to 2024. Of 1735 identified studies, only 11 met inclusion criteria. Findings revealed a lack of knowledge among nurses and dissatisfaction with sexual healthcare. Barriers include time constraints, cultural factors, and personal reservations. Routine discussions are often absent due to inadequate training. Education- and system-based strategies are needed to enhance nurses’ competence in addressing sexual concerns. Implementing training programs, structured records, evaluation tools, concept maps, and system support would improve patient care and oncology nursing practices. Addressing these gaps with practical measures can enhance communication, patient satisfaction, and quality of life. This unique analysis was conducted by two experienced advanced nurses in the Middle East, were discussions about sex are often regarded as taboo.

Prof. Patricia Tai, a gold medal graduate from University of Hong Kong (11th place in the 2026 QS World University Rankings), trained under renowned experts Prof. John Ho (nasopharyngeal cancer), Prof. David McDonald (brain tumor response: McDonald’s criteria), and Mr. Jake Van Dyk (medical physics). As an international skin cancer specialist, she has authored five UpToDate chapters (Wolters Kluwer, Wichita, United States). She is also a Clinical Professor at the University of Saskatchewan in Western Canada. She has 153 full publications, 187 conference abstracts, and 182 presentations. She had won 13 academic awards.