Make Your Workplace More Friendly for LGBTQ Nurses

It’s National Pride Month! Although Pride is celebrated annually in June, the queer community deserves recognition every month, not just once a year.

This applies to queer nurses, too. When workplaces strive to be LGBTQ+ inclusive, nurses “out of the closet” can feel more empowered to be who they are. Plus, happier nurses make for better healthcare experiences for patients and fellow nurses.

Making a workplace LGBTQ-friendly doesn’t have to be time-consuming or too hard. Open, accepting environments and a willingness to understand can go a long way to help queer nurses feel at home.

Inclusivity for Queer Nurses

Some nurses and other healthcare professionals may be unaware of basic queer terms and what they mean. LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (or questioning). Queer is a term for anyone who is not heterosexual or cisgender and can sometimes be used in place of LGBTQ.

The acronym also includes anyone who is nonbinary or doesn’t identify with the gender they were born with. Others may add “IA” at the end for intersex and asexual, or a plus for the expanding forms of sexuality that exist.

Other than being out of the loop with queer issues, others may be uncomfortable with addressing queer medical topics or working with LGBTQ nurses due to homophobia or systemic barriers like harassment and microaggressions.

Acceptance for queer identities has come a long way from decades ago when being queer meant meant having a psychiatric disease. But being a professional out of the closet today can still come with challenges at work. According to a study by the Center for American Progress and NORC, 46% of LGBTQ employees report being harassed at work.

How to Create a Safe Space for LGBTQ Nurses

There are many ways nursing leaders can cultivate a welcoming environment for queer nurses. Below are some strategies to put into practice.

Review non-discrimination policies: If you don’t have a non-discrimination policy, it’s strongly recommended that you add one to protect minority employees. The National LGBTQIA Health Education Center suggests adding the terms sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to non-discrimination policies for LGBTQ employees. This also shows that your workplace values inclusivity and diversity for queer people.

Use inclusive language: In documents and conversations with others, use non-gendered terms. Language such as people, team, and using third-person pronouns like they and them are acceptable and applicable to everyone.

Engage in LGBTQ-based training: Some nurses may be unfamiliar with the LGBTQ community’s efforts or available ally training. Training that educates staff and leadership on basic knowledge of LGBTQ terms and queer history can foster inclusivity among coworkers.

Organizations such as the Safe Zone project offer free curriculum on how to be a queer ally. Their packet also provides a safe zone sticker to paste on your door or work area.

Celebrate Pride Month: Every June for Pride Month, you can include promotional materials in your office, such as posters, rainbow flags, or flyers about other LGBTQ health organizations in your area. World AIDS Day and National Transgender Day of Remembrance are two other pride-themed events you can support in your workplace outside of June.