Sexual and Gender Minorities Content in the Nursing Standards

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario advocates with the Ministry of Health of Ontario (MOH), the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) to include, the health needs of sexual and gender minorities into entry-to-practice competencies and a nursing practice standard.

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario works with the Rainbow Nursing Interest Group (RNIG) in the lobbying in regard to the health needs of sexual and gender minorities, with other organizations, such as the Ministry of Health of Ontario (MOH), the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN), in ensuring that our 2SLGBTQi+ community is well represented in the process.

Action

Existing nursing education, entry-to-practice competencies and nursing practice standards do not adequately address the needs of racial, cultural, sexual and gender minorities – whether patients, clients or care providers – as shown by RNAO’s policy work and its resolutions process. RNAO has developed a best practice guideline (BPG), Promoting 2SLGBTQI+ Health Equity, incorporating its 2021 position statement on respecting sexually and gender diverse communities. We have disseminated this BPG to a broad range of stakeholders, including university and college nursing education institutions, in an effort to fill gaps in current nursing curricula with respect to sex and gender equity. We expect wide use of the BPG will help promote knowledge of gender and sexual diversity and experience in nursing education and nursing practice, as well as ensure that health-care settings reflect and respect the health needs of 2SLGBTQI+ clients and communities.
We are also presently finalizing content for a new In Focus theme, which will showcase policy developments and evidence-based research and tools related to 2SLGBTQI+ health equity.