Sexual and gender minority nurses' minority stress in the workplace: A scoping review

Sexual and gender minority nurses are underrepresented in the literature, which perpetuates the invisibility of their unique workplace experiences.

This scoping review examined the body of literature on sexual and gender minority nurses' workplace experiences from the context of minority stress.

The Arksey and O'Malley Framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) informed this scoping review. Initial database search identified 1,846 records, which then underwent title and abstract screening (n = 1,721), and assessment for full text review (n = 56). Full review and analysis of seven articles revealed that SGM nurses experience identity-specific discrimination, which is consistent with the Minority Stress Model.

Although not explicitly defined in the literature, minority stress conceptually impacts SGM nurses as societal stigma, concealment and disclosure, vicarious trauma, and invisibility in the workplace. Silence of SGM nurses protects their professional credibility and financial survival and gatekeeps the professional image of nursing.

Many areas for future research would benefit from identifying minority stress processes that impact SGM nurses in the workplace, including how coping and fostering community support facilitate positive outcomes.