The Use of Gender-Neutral Language in Psychiatric Care: A Qualitative Interview Study of Nurses' Perceptions and Experiences.

Abstract

Nurses in psychiatric and mental healthcare meet patients with varying backgrounds, including sexual and gender minorities. An essential part of nursing is the nurse-patient relationship, and previous research shows that LGBTQ patients desire a greater understanding of their needs, which can be illustrated in terms of a more inclusive linguistics usage, such as a gender-neutral language. There is, however, limited knowledge about nurses' views on this subject. The aim of this study was thus to describe nurses' perceptions and experiences on the use of gender-neutral language in psychiatric and mental healthcare. A qualitative, descriptive, and inductive approach was used, and 13 nurses working in psychiatric and mental healthcare were interviewed. The data were analysed with a qualitative content analysis, resulting in three themes; The nurses' understanding is characterised by individual prerequisites, The caring encounter is complex and requires normative awareness and responsibility, and The reflecting nurses become self-aware. The results are discussed and compared with the findings from previous research. The study also concludes that self-awareness and reflection play an important part in creating a safe environment for patients within the LGBTQ spectrum, where gender-neutral language can be used as an important tool for nursing in psychiatric and mental healthcare.