and beliefs into healthcare planning ( American Nurses Association , 2015 ). This part of the code applies to transgender individuals and calls for nurses to offer trans patients nonjudgmental care ( Cicero & Black , 2016 ). Yet , a 2011 survey revealed that 50 % of trans individuals reported a lack of provider knowledge during health encounters ; such lack of knowledge can lead to the undertreatment ( Grant , et . al , 2011 ).
To address the lack of nursing education on transgender health issues , it is imperative that baccalaureate-prepared nurses receive formal transgender health education during nursing school . The National Institutes of Health , in a 2007 landmark study on Lesbian , Gay , Bisexual , Transgender , Queer , Intersex , and Asexual community ( LGBTQ + ) health , reported that a major issue in provision of care to trans individuals is the structural barrier of limited nurse knowledge ( NIH , 2007 ). The study found that , particularly for transgender individuals , finding a provider who is knowledgeable is critical to managing transgender health issues . To date , research reveals that health education programs continue to provide limited , if any , cultural competency and communication training for providers to properly care for transgender people ( Dubin , et . al , 2018 ; Lim , et . al , 2016 ).
Nursing schools can incorporate content on transgender health in much the same way that other content is incorporated ; it does not require the addition of separate courses . Content can be threaded throughout the curriculum in various , appropriate courses to highlight the needs of transgender individuals . For instance , content on gender affirmation and gender-affirming language can be added to a pediatrics or health-across-the-lifespan course . Content regarding gender-affirmation surgery and post-surgery medications could be integrated into the pharmacology and adult health courses . Ethics courses could include information about transgender health inequities , and transgender health case studies can be presented in a variety of formats , including interprofessional education initiatives , community health case studies , and nursing research article reviews .
A successful example of curricular integration of transgender healthcare into nursing education used a four-step approach to integrate content into five nursing courses : role development , health assessment , psychiatric-mental health nursing , pharmacology , and nursing of the childbearing family . Authors note that , while the project was well-received by faculty and students , a continued focus on sustainable formal training is needed ( McDowell & Bower , 2016 ).
High Quality Health Care for Transgender People Just as any practicing nurse would become familiar with new medications and diseases , nurses must have continuing education on social issues as well . The best method of providing high quality care to trans patients is to provide regularly updated education and training to nursing staff , informing them about trans issues . The Joint Commission of Nursing ( 2011 ) calls for the formation of education courses that provide nurses with skills to address the unique needs of transgender patients . Nursing leaders need to encourage the use of trans-inclusive language , update training materials , and foster a culture of respect towards these patients . Individual nurses can encourage a trans friendly hospital by using neutral and inclusive language when speaking to patients , honoring patient requests to be addressed with alternative pronouns ( they / them ), and encouraging other hospital staff to treat transgender patients with respect ( The Joint Commission , 2011 ).
Originally developed to improve relationships with the indigenous populations of New Zealand and Canada , nursing educators have been using the Apologize , Question , Use , Educate , Remember , and Your Impact ( AQUERY ) tool to foster therapeutic communication with their transgender students . Using this tool , if a nurse improperly addresses a transgender patient , the nurse should apologize sincerely , proceed to ask for the patient ’ s preferred term of address , and then use it . The nurse should then refer to nursing references to address any misunderstandings and plan to remember how to address the patient . By using this tool , nurses can foster a comfortable and accepting environment for their transgender patients in the hospital setting . ( Whitney , Greene , & Dudek , 2020 ).
Nurses and nurse leaders can help to foster an inclusive environment by displaying posters for transgender health resources offered by medical centers and including forms that allow patients to document their preferred name , pronouns , and gender identity . By developing an environment that is non-judgmental and inclusive , nurses can take the lead in providing high-quality healthcare to transgender individuals ( Kim , 2017 ). Nursing leaders can rise to the occasion by establishing an environment that is empathetic to and respectful of members of the LGBTQ + community through cultural sensitivity training , using gender inclusive language on documentation and conversation , and educating patients on the availability of LGBTQ + specific health resources . Outside of healthcare , nurses can advocate for the LGBTQ + community by being advocates for the equal rights and opportunities of its members and being intolerant of intolerance .
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