Ethical and Cultural Considerations Involving the Transgender Community and Implications for Nursing Education

Transgender issues have surfaced in numerous ways in the media, such as, television specials, autobiographies, and news broadcasts.  One of the issues that surfaced is healthcare for transgender individuals.  There is a need to enhance understandings of culturally competent care within a nursing context regarding transgender individuals.  The former will enhance abilities to address the diverse and holistic needs of transgender individuals within nursing education.  Zuner and Grance (2012) report transgender patients experience humiliating and inappropriate treatment from staff and health care workers (p. 62).  Nursing students are rarely taught culturally appropriate and competent care techniques for transgender individuals.  Therefore, providing culturally appropriate and competent care to transgender individuals will be a complex and difficult task for many nurses.  Wichinski (2015) discusses physical assessment considerations that are specific to transgender patients, especially those who are on hormone treatments and those who have had sexual reassignment surgery.  By utilizing published material on standards of care for transgender individuals and narratives given by transgender individuals, the culture of the classroom can be transformed by employing teaching strategies to broaden understandings of culturally competent care for transgender individuals.  Strategies to achieve this include utilizing case studies and simulation exercises that involve transgender individuals.  Chapman, et al (2011) suggests that nursing education programs include culturally sensitive care training, including case studies and group activities to enhance students’ awareness of the distinct needs of transgender patients (p. 944). Expected outcomes are optimal and competent care for transgender individuals. Caring for transgender individuals requires a paradigm shift in nursing education.  Recommendations for future research include measuring the quality of care given to transgender individuals and its impact on health outcomes. Adequate education for nursing staff is essential to ensuring competent care is provided for transgender individuals. Also, further nursing research is needed in the area of transgender care.