TALASTAS, KYLE CATHERINE HEALTH ASSESSMENT

1NUR – 6 RLE 5: MR. GIAN CARLO S. TORRES

Ruud, M. (2018). Cultural Humility in the Care of Individuals Who Are Lesbian, Gay. Bisexual, Transgender,
or Queer. Nursing for Women’s Health, 22(3), 255 – 263.
Keywords: cultural humility, LGBTQ, sexual orientation, gender identity

I. SIGNIFICANCE
Cultural humility demonstrates an ongoing self-reflection and education with the intention of
acknowledging and enhancing the awareness, sensitivity and judgement of health care providers upon
addressing disparities between sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). The study has the intention
to remind health care providers that the fear of judgement, discrimination and partiality in the hospital
settings forced lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals to be wary of health
care setting and health care providers, including nurses. Emerging evidence showed that LGBTQ people
experience some health conditions at a greater rate than the general population. According to Blosnich,
Farmer, Lee, SIlenzio, & Bowen (2014), there are greater rates of smoking and alcohol consumption among
lesbian and bisexual women. In addition, the rate of suicide attempts is 4 times greater for LGBTQ youth
than their straight counterparts (Kann et al., 2016). In other words, these studies show how the health
condition of LGBTQ community could be fully threatened if they fail to be treated by health care providers
accordingly. And with that, the study also emphasized the importance of equipping oneself with an
inclusive language and attitude towards patients, regardless of gender and personal assumption. The
banning or avoidance of using the word “homosexual” for health care providers, due to the history of the
term which implied that being gay is a pathologic condition (Drescher, 2015) is a very important factor to
take note of as a student nurse. Another, this topic stressed that as health care providers, nurses should
acquire the basic knowledge and understanding of the definition, history and disparities that is present
from the health of the LGBTQ people. Because by doing so, equipping health care providers with this
knowledge will be the first step in breaking down health disparities.

II. IMPLICATIONS
The practical implications of this topic involve taking steps to provide a more welcoming and inclusive
environment for the well-being of LGBTQ patients. And it begins by means of educating and orienting
health care providers, especially nurses, about the use of inclusive language. The choice of words upon
the health care provider’s interaction to an LGBTQ patient will predetermine the willingness and
comfortability of the patient to proceed with the health care. In an example in the study, the medical
practitioner asked the LGBTQ patient, Jo, on which words they prefer when referring to the anatomy. And
Jo said answered by mentioning “chest” for breast, and “front hole” for vagina. This manner will convey
an attitude of respect from the health care provider to the patient. Also, asking for the preferred pronouns
of the patients will establish a good interaction with the health care provider. The inclusion of SOGI-
related questions through registration and history forms will serve as a non-discriminative approach in
dealing with taking the sexual history of LGBTQ patients. For example, the history form has a question
about the current gender identity has options including male female, transgender male/trans
man/female-to-male (FTM), transgender female/trans woman/male-to-female (MTF), genderqueer,
additional category, and ‘choose not to disclose’ option. This simple question excluded discrimination and
presented an accepting approach towards the existence of LGBTQ individuals, and it will make them feel
that they are acknowledged by medical practitioners. In addition, assuring the patients that their personal
information is bound by confidentiality and is intended to enhance care and services will help the patients
to be at ease. Organizations and resources should be utilized to advance knowledge and provide optimum
health care to LGBTQ community.

III. CONCEPTS
This study focused on cultural humility, person-centered care, sexual orientation and gender identity,
and specifically, LGBTQ care. I approve of cultural humility which implies that “you, the patient, is the
expert,” and not the other way around. Health care provider like nurses has the duty to gather information
from patients through interview and history taking. And it is an unavoidable fact that some health care
providers assume the gender orientation of patients based on their physical appearances, and worse, this
deduction is sometimes implied verbally towards the patient. For example, the nurse implied that the 45
years old patient that appears as a woman could be a mother that has grandchildren, and with that
assumption, the nurse immediately called her ‘nanay’ instead of asking what pronoun or name the patient
would like to be called. The point is, health care providers have no authority over the preferences and
personal information of their patients. Therefore, health care providers, especially nurses who gets in
direct contact with patients should disregard personal assumptions and exercise caution upon
determining the gender identity and sexual orientation of patients, especially with LGBTQ individuals. The
practices I’ve implied previously portrays a person-centered care towards LGBTQ individuals because they
deserve the recognition and treatment that their straight counterparts receive in the hospital setting.
Demonstrating a person-centered care is like investing full attention and sensitivity towards the gestures,
moods, and level of comfort that the patient is emanating. With that, the study was able to emphasize
the importance of being knowledgeable and sensible towards LGBTQ individuals, especially when the
question being asked is their preferred name or pronoun to be called or acknowledge as. The only thing
that I think the study is lacking was the involvement of primary research involving actual LGBTQ
participants because the study focused on the issues revolving around the treatment and interaction from
the health care providers to LGBTQ patients.

IV. APPLICABLE THEORY

The most compatible theory that I’ve found for the study is the person-centered care approach
by professor Thomas Kitwood. This person-centered care invests meticulous attention to the distinct
qualities, preferences, and behaviors that the patient exhibits. An approach like this encourages and
empowers health care providers to understand the patient by taking their personal beliefs, preferences,
habits and usual behaviors, and in this study on cultural humility towards LGBTQ patients, desired
acknowledgement of sexual orientation and gender identity, into consideration. By the application of a
person-centered approach to every LGBTQ patient, health care providers must first assess what conditions
and preferences the patient wants. And after that, it is followed by the individualized interaction and
intervention which includes the choice of gestures, language and names or pronouns that the patient
prefers.