He, She, They: Some Tips for Treating Transgender Patients
Jan 25, 2018
When dealing with any patients, nurses want to be respectful. But there may be some confusion as to what they should do or say when treating patients who are transgender or genderqueer. Jennifer Flynn, CPHRM, Risk Manager with the Nurses Service Organization (NSO), answered our questions on this topic.
How should a nurse find out if a patient is transgender? How should the discussion begin?
A nurse may or may not know whether a patient is transgender or genderqueer, and depending on their role, a nurse may not need to know a patient’s gender identity. For example, if a patient is presenting with an upper respiratory issue, there is no medical need to find out a person’s gender status or to perform a genital exam.
Read an edited version of the interview on DailyNurse.