Evidence and practice

Supporting gender-diverse young people: the role of the nurse

Katrin Lehmann Consultant nurse, child and adolescent mental health and emotional wellbeing, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Why you should read this article:

• To increase your knowledge of issues related to gender and gender diversity
• To appreciate that gender-diverse people experience health inequities
• To learn about ways to improve the healthcare experiences of gender-diverse young people

Gender-diverse individuals will need to access healthcare services for various reasons, with most of this care provided outside of specialist gender services. Nurses have an important role in advocating for the specific needs of gender-diverse individuals and providing person-centred care. Therefore, they have a responsibility to ensure their knowledge of appropriate terminology and gender-affirming interventions is up to date. This article provides information about gender diversity to enhance nurses’ understanding of this area to enable them to care for gender-diverse people effectively and sensitively. While the focus of this article is on gender-diverse young people, the same principles can be applied across all age groups.

Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2023.e12070

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

Katrin.Lehmann@belfasttrust.hscni.net

Conflict of interest

None declared

Lehmann K (2023) Supporting gender-diverse young people: the role of the nurse. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2023.e12070

Published online: 31 August 2023

Keywords :

diversity - equality - gender issues - inclusion - lesbian gay bisexual trans - patient experience - patients - person-centred care - professional - stigma