Affirmative Palliative Care for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Individuals. Issue 4 (April 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lippe, Megan Pfitzinger; Eyer, Joshua C.; Roberts, Kailey E.; Ritter, Emma R.; DiMauro, Pierce K.; McKinney, Robert E.; Williamson, Cassandra L.; Rosa, William E.
• Is Part Of: American journal of nursing. Volume 123:Issue 4(2023)
• Page Start: 48
• Page End: 53
• Publication Date: 2023-04
• Subjects: inclusive care -- nursing care -- palliative care -- transgender and gender nonconforming -- transgender persons; Nursing -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 610.7305
• DOI: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000925508.62666.99
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-936X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Nurses have a professional and ethical responsibility to provide inclusive, affirmative palliative care to transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals experiencing life-limiting illness or injury. In accordance with standards for professional nursing and health organizations, nurses must continue to take tangible steps to achieve a level of care that is affirming, holistic, nonprejudicial, and collaborative. Providing quality care for TGNC individuals requires informed, competent integration of palliative nursing care, gender-affirmative care, and trans-person-centered health care within nursing practice. An interdisciplinary national team of experts collaborated to identify ways nurses could better uphold their professional responsibilities to TGNC individuals with serious illness. The purposes of this article are to: 1) describe elements of TGNC-inclusive palliative nursing care; and 2) present eight concrete recommendations to achieve affirmative clinical practice for TGNC patients living with life-limiting illness and their family of origin and/or family of choice. These recommendations address professional development, communication, medication reconciliation, mental health, dignity and meaning, social support and caregivers, spiritual beliefs and religion, and bereavement care. Abstract : The authors discuss the need for nurses to provide gender-inclusive palliative nursing care to patients experiencing life-limiting illness or injury.