LGBTQIA+ healthcare content in pre-registration nursing and midwifery curricula: A cross-sectional study

• Published in: Nurse education today Vol. 143; p. 106363
• Main Authors: Huang, Mengting, Allen, Jacqueline, Fooladi, Ensieh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Scotland Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2024
• Subjects: Australia; Cross-Sectional Studies; Curricula; Curriculum - standards; Curriculum - trends; Education; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate - standards; Female; Humans; LGBTQIA+; Midwifery; Midwifery - education; Nursing; Pre-registration; Sexual and Gender Minorities - statistics & numerical data; Sexual minorities; Students, Nursing - statistics & numerical data; Australia; Nursing; Pre-registration; Education; LGBTQIA+; Midwifery; Curricula; Sexual minorities
• ISSN: 0260-6917; 1532-2793; 1532-2793
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106363

Nurses and midwives are expected to provide inclusive care for LGBTQIA+ populations. However, there is a paucity of knowledge on how well-prepared nursing and midwifery graduates are for this aspect of their role. To explore LGBTQIA+ content in pre-registration nursing and midwifery curricula in Australia. Cross-sectional study. Australian higher education institutions offering 86 pre-registration nursing and midwifery programs. Publicly available pre-registration nursing and midwifery course programs in Australia as presented in the online course handbooks of 25 randomly selected educational institutions. A LGBTQIA+ terminology matrix was developed to guide data extraction from subject titles, synopses, and learning outcomes. Explicit terms were those strongly associated with LGBTQIA+. Implicit terms were those indirectly associated with LGBTQIA+. Explicit and implicit LGBTQIA+ terms were analyzed for frequencies. Poisson regression was used to compare counts of LGBTQIA+ terms by course, subject, and university. Among the 1093 subjects, no subject titles included explicit terms and 6 (0.55 %) titles included implicit LGBTQIA+ terminology. Explicit LGBTQIA+ terminology was identified in 54 (4.9 %) subject synopses and implicit terminology was found in 323 (29.6 %) subject synopses. Explicit LGBTQIA+ terms were identified in 14 (1.3 %) learning outcomes while implicit terms were found in 323 (29.6 %) learning outcomes. Group of Eight universities were more likely to use explicit and implicit LGBTQIA+ terminology than non-Group of Eight universities (p < 0.001; p = 0.035). Undergraduate programs included more LGBTQIA+ terminology than postgraduate programs (p = 0.019; p < 0.001). Core subjects were more likely to include LGBTQIA+ content than elective subjects (p < 0.001). Explicit LGBTQIA+ terminology was minimal indicating limited overall content. The study results alert nursing and midwifery educators to take a targeted approach to teaching and learning with a LGBTQIA+ focus to support future nurses and midwives with quality knowledge and skills and ensure equitable and safe care for LGBTQIA+ people. •Overall, Australian pre-registration nursing and midwifery curricula lack explicit LGBTQIA+ healthcare terminology.•Core subjects were more likely to include LGBTQIA+ healthcare terminology than elective subjects.•Group of Eight universities were more likely to include LGBTQIA+ terms in curricula than non-Group of Eight universities.•Undergraduate pre-registration nursing and midwifery curricula included more LGBTQIA+ terms than postgraduate curricula.