Date of Publication
2024
Project Team
Project Advisor: Brandon Brown, RN, MSN
Abstract
Background and Objectives:
Sex and gender diverse individuals often face negative impacts on their safety and well-being due to interactions with healthcare professionals they perceive as inadequately educated. This project aimed to develop and implement a targeted gender and sexual diversity (GSD)-inclusive curriculum to address knowledge gaps among senior-level nursing students in caring for sex and gender diverse patients.
Methods:
Initially, students attended a lecture designed to address basic concepts of sex and gender diverse patient care. Anonymous surveys were then used to evaluate nursing student and faculty attitudes toward sex and gender diverse patients, as well as their knowledge of caring for this population. Subsequently, a GSD-inclusive curriculum was developed to challenge binary perspectives and biases identified in the surveys. This curriculum was then implemented with the same students in small group workshops that emphasized the importance of thoughtful care for this patient population and practical strategies for providing such care. Additional anonymous surveys were used to evaluate students' perceived educational growth, emotional impact, and overall satisfaction with the curriculum.
Results:
The intervention resulted in increased knowledge and positive attitude shifts among students as measured by the post-implementation surveys. Furthermore, both nursing students and faculty expressed a desire for more education and guidance on addressing the needs of sex and gender diverse patients.
Discussion:
The study underscores the effectiveness of GSD-inclusive curricula in enhancing nurses' understanding and care for sex and gender diverse patients, while also highlighting the persistent demand for more education in this area among nursing faculty and students. Future research should focus on refining educational methods and including more diverse participant populations to further improve care for sex and gender diverse individuals.
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Recommended Citation
Taylor, Hailey M. RN, MSN, "Silence Equals Death: Developing and implementing nursing education on the physiology and care of patients who deny the sex and gender binary" (2024). College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications. 16.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/cnhsmp/16
Included in
Nursing Administration Commons, Other Nursing Commons, Public Health and Community Nursing Commons