There is an article in a medical website for healthcare providers on how to treat trans patients, my answer would be short and sweet… just like any other patients.
She writes…
The article ends with a list of resources including NCTE.
I know healthcare is one of our major concerns. I volunteer at the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective and that is the number one question that I am asked… “Where can I find a trans friendly doctor?”
I personally have never had a problem with any healthcare providers and I have seen many providers but I know of trans people who have had problems, one was refused treatment at a hospital here in Connecticut. She slipped and fell on some ice and in the emergency room when they found out she was trans they sent her home and told her see her doctor in the morning. In another hospital I know someone who had hospital employees come into her room to laugh.
Virginia Slims ad from the sixties said “You've Come A Long Way, Baby.” We have but there still is a long ways to go.
He, She, They: Some Tips for Treating Transgender PatientsI think that first paragraph is the key. Keep your questions relative to the injury or the medical problem, if it is a broken wrist you don’t need to know what is between their legs.
Jennifer Flynn, CPHRM, addresses a range of questions
Med Page Today
By Michele Wojciechowski
December 23, 2017
When dealing with any patients, nurses want to be respectful. But there may be some confusion as to what they should do or say when treating patients who are transgender or genderqueer. Jennifer Flynn, CPHRM, risk manager with the Nurses Service Organization (NSO), answered our questions on this topic. Following is an edited version of our interview.
How should a nurse find out if a patient is transgender? How should the discussion begin?
A nurse may or may not know whether a patient is transgender or genderqueer, and depending on their role, a nurse may not need to know a patient's gender identity. For example, if a patient is presenting with an upper respiratory issue, there is no medical need to find out a person's gender status or to perform a genital exam.
The patient's healthcare record may indicate their gender status and preferred name, or the information in the healthcare record may be out of date or incomplete. If a nurse is unsure about a person's gender identity, or how they wish to be addressed, ask politely for clarification. You can ask "How do you prefer to be addressed?" or "What is your preferred name?" In the interest of facilitating a good provider-patient relationship, with any patient, it is important not to make assumptions about patients' identity, beliefs, concerns, or sexual orientation.
How should a nurse approach the subject of which gender the patient identifies as and which pronoun to use? When the nurse finds out, should s/he be the one to tell every other healthcare worker who will see the patient? Will it go in the patient's chart? Or should the nurse do both? Why?My answer is a flat NO! she should not go telling everyone that we are trans for two reasons, first is that if the person is not directly involved in the healthcare of the individual it is none of their business, and second and most important it is a violation of HIPAA!
She writes…
This information will be included in that patient's healthcare record, which is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy laws. Never disclose a person's gender status to anyone who does not explicitly need the information for care. If disclosure is relevant to the patient's care, use discretion and inform the patient whenever possible.Some of the other questions that the author covers are…
- Suppose a transgender person prefers to use "they"? How should a nurse approach that?
- What are some of the care challenges for transgender patients?
- What are the legal and regulatory requirements?
- What does is mean for a nurse to be culturally competent regarding transgender patients?
- What else should nurses know -- overall -- about treating transgender patients?
The article ends with a list of resources including NCTE.
I know healthcare is one of our major concerns. I volunteer at the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective and that is the number one question that I am asked… “Where can I find a trans friendly doctor?”
I personally have never had a problem with any healthcare providers and I have seen many providers but I know of trans people who have had problems, one was refused treatment at a hospital here in Connecticut. She slipped and fell on some ice and in the emergency room when they found out she was trans they sent her home and told her see her doctor in the morning. In another hospital I know someone who had hospital employees come into her room to laugh.
Virginia Slims ad from the sixties said “You've Come A Long Way, Baby.” We have but there still is a long ways to go.
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