Table 4.
Barriers for nurses not to discuss fertility
| Agree n (%)a | Indecisive n (%) | Disagree n (%)b | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age of the patient | 333 (62.6) | 114 (21.4) | 85 (16.0) |
| Insufficient training | 295 (55.2) | 146 (27.3) | 93 (17.4) |
| Barriers based on language and ethnicity | 275 (51.6) | 178 (33.4) | 80 (15.0) |
| Insufficient knowledge | 265 (49.4) | 164 (30.6) | 107 (20.0) |
| Barriers based on culture or religion | 251 (47.1) | 175 (32.8) | 107 (20.1) |
| Could not find a suitable moment | 230 (43.4) | 158 (29.8) | 142 (26.8) |
| Patients do not bring up fertility spontaneously | 219 (41.1) | 170 (31.9) | 144 (27.0) |
| Presence of a third person | 209 (39.5) | 148 (28.0) | 172 (32.5) |
| Patient is too ill to discuss fertility | 147 (27.5) | 199 (37.3) | 188 (35.2) |
| I feel uncomfortable to discuss fertility | 135 (25.4) | 170 (32.0) | 227 (42.7) |
| No connection with the patient | 124 (23.3) | 151 (28.4) | 257 (48.3) |
| Afraid to offend the patient | 107 (20.1) | 138 (25.9) | 288 (54.0) |
| No referral options | 106 (19.9) | 143 (53.4) | 285(53.4) |
| Patient is not ready to discuss fertility | 104 (19.5) | 244 (45.9) | 184 (34.6) |
| Age difference between yourself and the patient | 95 (17.8) | 119 (22.3) | 319 (59.8) |
| Someone else is accountable for discussing fertility | 84 (15.8) | 186 (34.9) | 263 (49.3) |
| Changed fertility is not a problem for the patient | 57 (10.7) | 216 (40.6) | 259 (48.7) |
| Insufficient time | 50 (9.4) | 117 (22.0) | 366 (68.7) |
n differs because the questions were not answered consistently, and some were skipped or forgotten
a Agree contains the answers “totally agree” and “agree”
b Disagree contains the answers “totally disagree” and “disagree”