Enhancing cultural competence in caring for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender patients: An online training program for Taiwanese student nurses and nurses.

BACKGROUND: Health disparities exist among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations worldwide. However, student nurses and nurse staff have limited knowledge and skills in providing culturally competent nursing care for LGBT patients in Taiwan. OBJECTIVES: This paper describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an online training program for the cultural competence of student nurses and nurses in Taiwan. DESIGN: A one-group pre-/post-test study design. SETTINGS: The study was conducted in five nursing schools, 10 nursing associations, and 37 long-term care facilities. Two prominent online bulletin boards (PTT Nurse and Dcard Nurse) and one Taiwanese nursing group on Facebook were used to recruit participants. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 301 student nurses and nurses participated in the study and responded to pre- and post-test questionnaires. METHODS: An online training program for culturally competent nursing care was developed and implemented. The pre- and post-test questionnaires contained three sections: (1) demographics, (2) knowledge of LGBT health, and (3) the Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale. Three open-ended questions were included in the post-test questionnaire to evaluate the online training program. RESULTS: The online training program significantly improved the participants' knowledge and cultural competence skills. However, their attitudes towards cultural competence did not change after the program was implemented. Regarding qualitative feedback of the online training program, feedback on the strengths and limitations of the program was summarized under three themes: program content, website design, and online modules. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest the importance of an online training program which may contribute to reducing health disparities among the LGBT population.

Attitudes toward, knowledge of, and beliefs regarding providing care to LGBT patients among student nurses, nurses, and nursing educators: A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Studies have assessed attitudes toward, knowledge of, and beliefs regarding providing care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) patients among student nurses, nurses, and nursing educators individually, but few studies have compared these aspects among these groups. OBJECTIVES: To examine the attitudes toward, knowledge of, and beliefs regarding providing care for LGBT patients among student nurses, nurses, and nursing educators in Taiwan. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTINGS: The study was advertised in 8 nursing schools, 14 nursing associations, 209 nursing homes, and 2 online chatrooms in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1150 participants were recruited: 447 student nurses, 475 nurses, and 228 nursing educators. METHODS: Data were collected between August 2021 and January 2022 through a questionnaire with five sections: demographics, knowledge of LGBT health, the Knowledge about Homosexuality Questionnaire, the Attitude Toward Lesbian and Gay Men Scale, and the Gay Affirmative Practice Scale. RESULTS: The results suggest that the participants had limited knowledge of LGBT health. The nursing educators had the lowest scores for knowledge of LGBT health and homosexuality and the most negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay men among the groups; however, they were most likely to report their beliefs regarding providing nursing care to LGBT patients than the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the importance of providing nursing educators with training courses and resources related to culturally competent care to improve education for nursing students and care for LGBT patients.