Do student nurses feel a lack of comfort in providing support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Questioning adolescents: what factors influence their comfort level?

Aim. The aim of this study was to find out if student nurses feel comfortable in caring by providing support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Questioning adolescents and what factors influence their level of comfort. Background. Research indicates that nurses and nursing students experience varying levels of comfort when caring for adults who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Questioning: adult patients feel that nurse's attitudes change towards them once they disclose their sexuality. There has been minimal research to date on nursing attitudes to working with adolescents who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Questioning. Design. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this descriptive study. Questionnaires were completed by 152 nursing students and nine took part in semi-structured focus groups. Method. A two-way ANOVA was used to analyse the questionnaires. Thematic analysis was used to identify the themes arising from the focus groups. Data were collected between August 2013 - July 2014. Results/Findings. The results and findings of the study were that student nurse's felt discomfort in providing support; due to a lack of knowledge of Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual sexuality, personal and religious beliefs and the perceptions of others. However, all students indicated they had a positive attitude towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Questioning adolescents. Conclusion. More needs to be done to raise self-awareness and improve the level of knowledge in relation to Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual issues amongst student nurses. Educational institutions and practice areas need to recognize this fact and reflect this in their educational programmes.