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Survey of Nursing Students' Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding LGBT Healthcare Concerns

Thursday, 10 July 2008: 1:35 PM
Judith Cornelius, PhD, MS, RN , School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Jennifer B. Carrick, BS, RN , School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

Learning Objective 1: identify nursing students' knowledge of LGBT healthcare concerns.

Learning Objective 2: discuss nursing students' attitudes regarding LGBT healthcare concerns.

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations have the same basic health needs as the general population but have health disparities related to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Nursing students are future nurses who will provide healthcare to LGBT individuals, yet there is no empirical data that examine nursing students' knowledge and attitudes about LGBT healthcare concerns. Before we can design interventions to ensure that nursing students are culturally and linguistically competent to provide healthcare to LGBT individuals, we need to first examine their knowledge and attitudes toward LGBT healthcare concerns.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine nursing students' knowledge and attitudes regarding LGBT health care concerns.

Design and Methods: A convenience sample of 186 nursing students from one university located in the southeast region of the country completed the 74-item Nursing Students' Knowledge and Attitudes regarding LGBT Healthcare Concerns survey (NKALH).

Findings: Preliminary findings indicate that the nursing students answered over half (70%) of the healthcare knowledge questions incorrectly. Almost half (43%) of the nursing students felt that LGBT individuals should disclose their status; the majority (80%) felt that they would be comfortable if they were known among their peers as a nurse that cares for LGBT patients; and over half agreed (57%) that when they first meet a patient they assume they are heterosexual.

Implications: Health disparities will continue to exist if the front line providers of health care are unaware of the unique health care needs of this population. Schools of nursing and faculty need to examine their curricula to explore where LGBT healthcare concerns need to be addressed.

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