Myths, misunderstandings, and missing information: Experiences of nurse practitioners providing primary care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender patients

Abstract

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice nurses who provide holistic care including health promotion and disease prevention to diverse populations across the life span. A current gap in the literature is research that examines NP practice as it relates to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) patients. Individuals who identify as LGBT have health concerns specific to their sexual orientation or gender identity that may not be recognized by healthcare providers, such as NPs, and which may result in poorer health outcomes than for non-LGBT persons. This exploratory qualitative descriptive study was designed to examine in detail the practice experiences of NPs in providing primary health care to LGBT patients. A convenience sample of 22 NPs, supplemented with snowball sampling, was drawn from the registry of licensed NPs in the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Data were collected via semi-structured individual interviews, which were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Some brief measures of quantitative data were also collected for demographic purposes. The qualitative data were analyzed using inductive analysis. Special attention was given to ensuring credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability of the data and their interpretation. Key themes that emerged from analysis of the data included: filling in the knowledge gaps; fostering a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship; and sexual and psychosocial health. The research findings also highlighted the gaps that exist in the training and education on LGBT health that NPs received from their educational programs.

A Scoping Review to Identify Barriers and Enabling Factors for Nurse–Patient Discussions on Sexuality and Sexual Health

“…Norms and beliefs around gender also influence SSH discussions with LGBTQ patients. Many healthcare systems are still heteronormative in their approach, for example, there is still limited terminology, and nurses lack knowledge about the SSH needs of LGBTQ patients [ 57 ]. Thus, these patients remain at the risk of discrimination and exclusion in SSH discussions [ 36 ].…”

The epistemological construction of transsexuality: the science, nursing and common sense

“…This constitutes a great challenge for the nursing before the existing gaps in the professional training about the transsexual women´s health. [30][31] The science is an instrument for the construction of this knowledge, through the investigation and elaboration of solutions to be counted from the common sense, in enabling the nursing to make reflections about the professional practice. 14 According to the data presented above, it could be said that the philosophy of science is aligned to the idea of production and detention of knowledge, providing them with the right instruments and ordering the practice, even the health.…”

Sexual coercion at first sexual debut and associated factors among young females in rural areas of Boset District, Eastern Ethiopia: A mixed-method study

“…Studies in the fi elds of sexual coercion at sexual debut, including rape are usually based on biased estimates to elicit the relationship between the victims and rapist characterization of the prevalence is challenging [2,7]. There are also popular myths about both victims and perpetrators [8]. Some of the commonly perceived myths are sexual coercion is performed by strangers in dangerous places; the offender or perpetrators Citation: Abeya SG (2021) Sexual coercion at first sexual debut and associated factors among young females in rural areas of Boset District, Eastern Ethiopia: A mixed-method study.…”