GLBT nurses

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Any GLBT nurses/nursing students?

What challenges do you face?

What is the medical field like for GLBT people?

I'm a pre-nursing student. I'm female with a female partner, and believe it or not have not had any challenges related to such in my job and other life... perhaps it's living in California and having hippie parents... but people sometimes are a little surprised at first but go on with their lives. And when I came out, none of my friends winked. Nothing really changed. Maybe I'm just oblivious but my experience has been "homophobia? what homophobia?".

I wonder what it will be like as a nurse.

I'm feminine looking, get along really great with guys and have to disappoint them when they've asked me out, and for the most part don't make a big issue out of being gay...

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I am not gay but have worked with many gay nurses. I don't ever recall them being treated any differently than straight nurses. In my experience it was always "Do your job and I don't care who you sleep with."

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I have found nurses to be a bit more tolerant of GLBT persons than other areas I've worked. I guess because it's in our nature as nurses to be nonjudgemental of our patient's variouis lifestyles that they are more tolerant.

Also, I think tolerance is a regional thing. A person in San Franscisco would probably not have as many issues being an out nursing student than one in rural Bible belt areas.

I went to school in a rural Bible belt area and basically kept my sexuality to myself unless someone asked. Now I live in urban Florida and am waaaaaaaaaaaay out as a gay man and feel totally accepted and supported for being a good nurse who happens to be gay. Being gay is not the most interesting thing about me in my professional life. In fact its not relavent.

I don't wear a sign when taking care of patients and have had a couple of patients ask if I'm gay. Otherwise, it's a totally professional relationship with the patients and they don't seem to mind I'm not some butch football loving guy.

Good luck to you.

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Specializes in SICU.

I'm not a lesbian but I've worked with several, as well as many gay men. I honestly haven't seen any discrimination or any other major issues. Some people may be curious and talk with you about it. I remember working several shifts with two other female nurses (one I knew who was staff with me, one I didn't really know, she was agency) in a small ICU, they were both lesbians, and let me tell you that the conversations had me cracking up!!

Most nurses, me included, are mainly concerned with how well you do your job. I personally don't care who anyone is sleeping with! I just want to know that you've got my back if the sh*t hits the fan, and that your patients are appropriately cared for.

I don't think you'll have any big issues.

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This isn't exactly on topic but I've gotta say it anyway. I just can't imagine being a patient, or coworker for that matter, and finding it any of my business asking someone about their sexual orientation. It is just none of my darn business, IMO. Perhaps it's my Bible belt, Southern upbringing but sheesh, I just don't get why someone would feel the unrelenting, burning desire to know whether or not their nurse is gay or not. Have I ever met people and wondered, sure, but I haven't and can't envision me ever being curious enough or having some serious need to know. Tweety and others, out or not, I'm sorry folks feel the need to put you on the spot about it...I don't get it. Anywho, there are plenty of things people do that I don't understand or simply can't fathom...most of which doesn't surprise me, just don't 'get' it.

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I think you will be out if you ever want to discuss your partner or bring her to staff parties like the other nurses bring their husbands or boyfriends. I live in California as well and I don't know any of us straight nurses who care if someone is gay.

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Specializes in cardiac/critical care/ informatics.

ok I have to ask i have figured out the g l and possibly what the b stands for, but for the life of me I cnat fiugrue out the t.

My brother is gay so I have lived with it, and frankly don't care what someone sexual orientation is. like some one else said it is none of my business.

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ok I have to ask i have figured out the g l and possibly what the b stands for, but for the life of me I cnat fiugrue out the t.

gay lesbian bisexual transgendered

It wouldn't have been an issue where I lived in the past, NYC, but here in the boonies - I still don't think so. I work with one quite butch aide and no one cares. She's a good person and a good aide and those are the important things.

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Specializes in rehab; med/surg; l&d; peds/home care.

in my part of the world, you would never be accepted as GLBT here. It is sad. Nurses I worked with have set up, falsified records to get a Lesbian nurse fired here. Truly, truly sad. I even went to management to tell them what these nurses "did" and I was soon ousted out of the workplace. I did report them, but nothing has yet happened. People turn a blind eye here. This person who was set up was one of the best nurses in the place. She went above and beyond and the only thing that mattered was that she was gay. There was also a physical therapist who was fired after coming out to the coworkers. A male aid who was gay had his tires flattened. A lot of hate crimes happen in this area. I don't know what it is, but this area is terrible. A lot of the nurses will openly discuss how they hate gay people, and use terrible language describing them. A few even took the liberty to tell them where they would be going when they died...and how they hoped they would burn for eternity.

I have worked in a number of places as well, so it was not just one place here. It seems so many people have to take it upon themselves to judge others. I just don't understand it. There is major "homophobia" here. I know there are quite a few GLBT nurses in my area, but they have to keep quiet about it to the majority of people or life is made difficult. Very, very sad.

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I'm a patient care tech and pre respiratory therapy student living in California.I'm also a lesbian and "out" at work. I've never experianced any negativity or discrimination at the hospital where I work. My partner and I work in the same hospital, differant units and it's common knowledge that we are together. The assistant nurse manager on the unit I work is also a lesbian and open about her sexuality. I have to say it's really a non issue and I'm thankful for that.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I don't work with any L/B/T women that I know of. It's a postpartum floor, and the only man that works up there is a secretary and he's gay. Very open about it. And he's great to work with. Whether or not I agree with the choices that he (or anyone else) makes in his personal life (and this is not limited to sexuality), all I care about at work is that he does his job. That goes for anyone at work, gay, bi, or straight. I live close to the area Tweety mentioned when he started working, though not at the same hospital. If you came to work where I am, I really don't think you'd have an issue as long as you did your job.

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Specializes in Occ health, Med/surg, ER.

I am straight. I have many gay friends. One of my best nursing instructors is gay. I love him to death. I dont even think twice about it. His sexuality is just one of many things about him.

I agree with Tweety, nurses are generally accepting. For me, it is not an issue.

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