From leadership research to district action: Understanding Sexual Safety in Residential Aged Care: A Workforce Perspective

AI-assisted editorial implementation guide. Proposed district actions are separate from the original authors’ findings and recommendations. Independent peer review of this guide is not asserted.

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Evidence and transfer

Education-related source: verify which participants, institutions and outcomes were actually studied before district adoption. Source publication type: research-article. License and identity checks do not establish study quality or causality.

Original authors’ abstract, reproduced under the source license:

Background Individuals living in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) have the right to sexual safety and to be protected from all forms of unwanted sexual behaviour. Emerging evidence suggests that sexual safety breaches can occur within aged care settings, placing vulnerable residents at risk. Aged care workers have a significant role in ensuring their sexual safety and protection. Purpose This study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of aged care workers regarding the sexual safety of aged care residents. Methods The study used an exploratory qualitative descriptive design. Data were collected from 22 participants (n = 14 nurses and n = 8 personal care workers) across various RACFs in Australia through semistructured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Five major themes derived from the study include the following: sexual safety matters: perspectives on sexual safety, dimensions of sexual vulnerability, it was just seen as behaviour: implications for identification and escalation, perceived barriers and building sexual safety through shared ownership. Conclusion Findings highlight gaps in sexual safety knowledge, reporting practices and workforce preparation within residential aged care, with cultural and personal backgrounds influencing perceptions and responses to sexual safety incidents. Strengthening leadership, tailored mandatory sexual safety education and clear reporting pathways are essential to support a sexually safe environment while upholding residents’ sexual autonomy and rights. Implications for Nursing Management Findings suggest that nursing management should prioritise the implementation of tailored sexual safety education, strengthen organisational reporting systems and support workforce capability in recognising and responding to sexual safety incidents. Leadership approaches that foster consistent reporting practices and uphold residents’ sexual autonomy may contribute to safer residential aged care environments.

Study methods

This study used an exploratory qualitative descriptive design to explore the perspectives of aged care workers registered nurses (RNs), enrolled nurses (ENs), and PCWs employed in RACFs concerning sexual safety. Sexual safety in aged care is a sensitive and complex issue, involving vulnerability, cognitive impairment, power dynamics, and organisational responsibility. An exploratory qualitative approach allowed for flexible, in‐depth exploration of aged care workers’ experiences without being restricted to a particular conceptual framework [18]. Additionally, an exploratory descriptive design was considered appropriate as there is limited published research exploring aged care workers’ experiences and perceptions of sexual safety among older adults in residential aged care settings. According to Hunter et al. [18], an exploratory qualitative design is appropriate when information is required directly from people who are personally experiencing the phenomenon under study. In this research, participants were professionals who directly provided care to residents in Australian aged care settings. The aim of this design is also to generate new insights and understandings grounded in participants’ experiences [18].

Limitations

This study has several limitations. As an exploratory qualitative study, the findings are not intended to be generalisable; however, they provide in‐depth insights into aged care workers’ perspectives and experiences of sexual safety within residential aged care settings. The sample was predominantly female and was from metropolitan areas (n = 20), which may have influenced perspectives on sexual safety and associated experiences. Gendered perspectives may shape how sexual safety is understood and enacted in practice, and the underrepresentation of male participants limits exploration of potential differences in interpretation and response. Most participants were employed in metropolitan RACFs, which may not reflect the unique challenges and resource constraints experienced in rural or regional settings. Additionally, reliance on self‐reported experiences may have introduced social desirability response bias. To mitigate this, participants were assured of anonymity and confidentiality, participation was voluntary and interviews were conducted by researchers independent of participants’ workplaces. Nevertheless, the study provides rich descriptions of the research context, data collection and analytical processes, enabling readers to assess the transferability of the findings to similar settings. Future research should aim to include more diverse participant samples, particularly with respect to gender representation and geographic location, including rural and regional RACFs. Further studies could also use mixed‐methods or multiperspective designs (e.g., including residents, family members and managers) to better understand how sexual safety is constructed and managed across different stakeholder groups. In addition, research exploring how organisational culture, policy frameworks and regulatory environments shape staff interpretations and reporting practices would further strengthen the understanding of how sexual safety is operationalised in residential aged care.

A 90-day district inquiry

Days 1–15 · Appraise. Read the source methods, recruitment, comparator, outcomes and limitations. Record how the study setting differs from your district and which claim the design can support.
Days 16–30 · Design. Choose one recurring leadership practice described in the source. Map its participants, incentives and constraints to a district setting, then design a small reversible staff pilot with an accountable owner. Agree participation, privacy protections, baseline and stopping rules before starting.
Days 31–60 · Observe. Collect the pre-agreed measures, keep a log of implementation changes and invite confidential voluntary feedback. Preserve existing support for staff and learners.
Days 61–90 · Decide. Record implementation fidelity, staff review time, task quality and unintended burdens against a baseline. Use a comparison team where feasible and document alternative explanations before expanding. Make a dated decision to stop, revise or extend the inquiry.

Board decision brief

Present the local problem, source setting, evidence limits, intervention, responsible owner, total cost, measured changes and uncertainty. Separate staff perceptions, implementation measures and student learning outcomes.

Attribution and reuse

Robeena Emmanuel; Sheba Joseph; Bindu Narolil Mammen; Bindu Joseph. Understanding Sexual Safety in Residential Aged Care: A Workforce Perspective. Journal of Nursing Management (2026-01-01). https://doi.org/10.1155/jonm/7255533

Prepared 2026-11-07. Source authorship and DOI are preserved. The abstract and source passages are attributed extracts; this editorial guide is offered under the same CC BY 4.0 license.