LGBTQ+ health education for nurses: An innovative approach to improving nursing curricula

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people experience high rates of discrimination in healthcare settings worldwide, which have been linked to poor health outcomes and delays in seeking care. In the United States (US), nurses report a lack of awareness regarding LGBTQI+ health needs and nursing faculty report a lack of knowledge and confidence to teach LGBTQI+ health content to students. On average, baccalaureate nursing programs in the US only cover 2.12 h of LGBTQI+ content over the course of an entire program. This significant nursing education deficit merits timely dissemination of a logic model to guide LGBTQI+ health content integration.

Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON) LGBTQI+ Health Initiative (LHI) was established to develop a strategic, innovative response to the gaps in LGBTQI+ health education among faculty and nursing students.

The process resulted in a pragmatic interdisciplinary approach to nursing curriculum development focused on the integration of LGBTQI+ health. Specifically, a logic model, including product development, assessment, implementation, and evaluation, was developed to guide JHSON LHI efforts and act as a guide for LGBTQI+ health integration into nursing curricula.

Prompt dissemination of the JHSON LHI logic model will expedite process sharing and reduce redundancies among nursing schools pursuing similar initiatives.