Ancheta April J, McDonald Catherine C, Flores Dalmacio Dennis, Darien Kaja, Dowshen Nadia L
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Craig-Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.
Department of Family and Community Health, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.
Nurs Outlook. 2025 Mar-Apr;73(2):102350. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2025.102350. Epub 2025 Jan 24.
School nurses (SNs) can play important roles in the health of sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth, yet little is known about their knowledge and attitudes toward this population.
To understand SNs' knowledge and attitudes in caring for SGM youth across the United States.
We designed and disseminated the School Nurses and LGBTQ Youth online survey in May 2023 to U.S. SNs. Eight items addressed knowledge of SGM youth health needs and disparities; 11 addressed attitudes toward SGM youth.
Overall, 1,189 SNs completed the survey (response rate 59.5%). Regression models revealed that liberal political affiliation and more past-year professional development were most strongly associated with higher knowledge and attitudes scores.
This national sample of SNs reported moderate levels of knowledge and positive attitudes toward caring for SGM youth. The findings have important implications for developing SN-tailored interventions to improve care and health outcomes for SGM students.
