Formulating Healthcare Clinics for the Gay Community

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Hey there ARNP's! I was just wondering, as a nurse practitioner, does your scope of practice allow you to formulate various community sections of healthcare? As a nursing student in Seattle, I noticed there is so little gay health out there even out of state! Do you have any advice if I was interested in this area of practice, does it even exist or make sense to be interested in this or would it have to be more all encompassing? How would you go about starting a homosexual based ambulatory clinic as a nurse pracititioner? Is that even ethical to focus on a certain minority? Probably right? Well, let me know what you think of this.

Kevan.

Let me give two examples.

Patient #1 Comes in and says they have been using crystal meth and having unprotected sex. He is male, white, and heterosexual.

Patient #2 comes in and says they have been using crystal met and having unprotected sex. He is male, white, and homosexual.

Now, are you telling me that they will need different expertise on the part of the provider? Are you telling me they need different testing?

Yes. The provider should know--regardless of sexuality--whether the patient has had anal sex when using meth. If so, then he should be tested for syphilis.

Here's some info on the recent increased incidence of syphilis

http://www.cdc.gov/STDConference/2004/MediaRelease/CrystalMeth.htm

A provider who doesn't have a specific focus on a GLBT population may not have all the knowledge he or she needs to identify these types of risk factors. GLBT providers work on not only recognizing them, but trying to anticipate them. And they are saving lives AND empowering a marginilized community by providing information in a safe, non-judgemental way. :cheers:

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Thanks David, sometimes I feel like Im speaking french.

I do think that being knowledgable about GLBT issues includes knowledge of STDs. However, it is only a small part of the big picture and to allow it to remain the FOCUS of glbt health would be a disservice to the community.

If I have come off as if I am against a GLBT clinic I'm sorry. I'm all for it and I would be proud to be a part off one.

I am also not against an STD clinic. People with STDs also need a safe place to go where they won't be judged like they are at so many other clinics.

However, the two are seperate entities and STDs and gay shouldn't always have to come one after another when we are talking medicine.

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Specializes in NP Business Coach, Mentor, Business Ed..

there are offices and clinics in the seattle (and portland) area that are glbt friendly. in almost any community of people, there are specific health issues/concerns that face specific populations that are often not addressed in the everyday environment - either from lack of awareness or lack of concern.

in my office, i seem to have a large number of members from the glbt community. why? because my small town has little tolerance or a desire to even address specific health concerns. word gets around that we listen.

in order for offices to effectively address health issues in any specific community, there needs to be an awareness of the needs and special concerns as well as the nuances. it does not matter if it's the african american community, native american community, the gay community, or any other community. "generic" clinics, and for that matter "generic" education leave a lot to be desired in these communities.

barbaranp

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