Presenter Information

Caitlin GrudzinskiFollow

Start Date

23-8-2019 9:00 AM

End Date

23-8-2019 11:00 AM

Abstract

Factors that Affect Nurses’ Perception of LGBTQ Patients

Caitlin Grudzinski, MS Elizabeth Hartman, PhD, RN

Background: The number of persons identifying as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) increasing and therefore, it is imperative that we address the health needs of this patient population. Despite progress in equality legislation, the LGBTQ community still faces significant barriers in accessing health care and discrimination from health care staff. Nurses spend approximately one third of their time with patients and are often the first health care providers that a patient sees. An integrative literature conducted to determine nursing attitudes towards the LGBT patient population found that less than 50% of the studies suggested positive leaning attitudes towards this patient population.

Objective: This purpose of this paper is to investigate and understand what affects nurses’ perceptions of LGBTQ patients.

Methods: An integrative literature review was conducted by searching the databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and ProQuest Nursing. Utilizing the keywords: LGBT patients, homosexual patients, transgender patients, sexual and gender minorities, nursing attitudes and nursing stigma. A total of 6 articles were found.

Results: The data was analyzed and several themes were extracted. The education of the nurses, the environment in which the nurses worked and where they were from, and personal factors of the nurses all played a role in how they percieved LGBTQ patients.

Conclusion: Nurses who were better educated on LGBTQ health issues had a more positive perception of LGBTQ patients Nurses who were also very introspective and understood their own personal biases also had more positive perceptions of this patient population. The hospital and the location of the hospital also had a significant impact on nurses’ perceptions. Hospitals with more heteronormative policies also fostered negative perceptions of the LGBTQ patient population. Considering these factors, nursing organizations should find a way to better educate the nursing workforce on LGBTQ health issues,

Keywords: LGBTQ, nursing attitudes, nursing stigma, discrimination, heteronormavity, LGBTQ health education, LGBTQ health issues

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Aug 23rd, 9:00 AM Aug 23rd, 11:00 AM

Factors that Affect Nurses’ Perception of LGBTQ Patients

Factors that Affect Nurses’ Perception of LGBTQ Patients

Caitlin Grudzinski, MS Elizabeth Hartman, PhD, RN

Background: The number of persons identifying as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) increasing and therefore, it is imperative that we address the health needs of this patient population. Despite progress in equality legislation, the LGBTQ community still faces significant barriers in accessing health care and discrimination from health care staff. Nurses spend approximately one third of their time with patients and are often the first health care providers that a patient sees. An integrative literature conducted to determine nursing attitudes towards the LGBT patient population found that less than 50% of the studies suggested positive leaning attitudes towards this patient population.

Objective: This purpose of this paper is to investigate and understand what affects nurses’ perceptions of LGBTQ patients.

Methods: An integrative literature review was conducted by searching the databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and ProQuest Nursing. Utilizing the keywords: LGBT patients, homosexual patients, transgender patients, sexual and gender minorities, nursing attitudes and nursing stigma. A total of 6 articles were found.

Results: The data was analyzed and several themes were extracted. The education of the nurses, the environment in which the nurses worked and where they were from, and personal factors of the nurses all played a role in how they percieved LGBTQ patients.

Conclusion: Nurses who were better educated on LGBTQ health issues had a more positive perception of LGBTQ patients Nurses who were also very introspective and understood their own personal biases also had more positive perceptions of this patient population. The hospital and the location of the hospital also had a significant impact on nurses’ perceptions. Hospitals with more heteronormative policies also fostered negative perceptions of the LGBTQ patient population. Considering these factors, nursing organizations should find a way to better educate the nursing workforce on LGBTQ health issues,

Keywords: LGBTQ, nursing attitudes, nursing stigma, discrimination, heteronormavity, LGBTQ health education, LGBTQ health issues

 

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