IMPROVING PUBLIC HEALTH CLINICIANS’ BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS WITH LGBT INDIVIDUALS

1 online resource (72 pages) : PDF

2020

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

ABSTRACTCOLETTE TOWNSEND-CHAMBERS. Improving Public Health Clinicians' Beliefs and Behaviors with LGBT Individuals (Under the direction of DR. KELLY POWERS).Identified gaps in the education of healthcare clinicians contribute to non-affirming beliefs and marginalizing behaviors towards LGBT individuals. This can result in poorer health outcomes for LGBT persons. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a targeted educational intervention in improving public health clinicians’ affirming beliefs and behaviors with LGBT patients. A one group, pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental design was used. The sample was 69 public health clinicians from local public health clinics that are piloting a Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP®) HIV medication. An educational training was implemented which focused on challenges for the LGBT client and current LGBT sensitive terminology. A standardized patient simulation video recording of a transgender patient encounter was shown to demonstrate best practices and a structured debriefing followed. The Gay Affirmative Practice (GAP) scale was administered at three timepoints (pretest, immediate posttest, and 2-month posttest). Friedman's Test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests were performed. There was a statistically significant immediate improvement in clinicians’ affirmative beliefs (p< 0.001); however, beliefs scores returned to baseline two months later. The improvement in self-reported affirming behaviors from pretest to two-month posttest was statistically significant (p= 0.003). Participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the education and written comments revealed participants felt this education should be offered more frequently. Providing LGBT-specific healthcare training may improve clinicians’ affirmative beliefs and behaviors, which can significantly improve the patient-provider relationship. The use of experiential learning via simulation and ongoing education are recommended.

doctoral dissertations

Nursing
Public health
Queer studies

D.N.P.

Affirming
Behaviors
Beliefs
Gap Scale
Lgbt
Public Health Clinicians

Public Health

Powers, Kelly

Coffman, Maren
Okoro, Florence
Robinson, Patrick
Laditka, Sarah

Thesis (D.N.P.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2020.

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TownsendChambers_uncc_0694D_12354