Social Worker Educational Experiences of Practice Preparation with LGBT Individuals in Hospital Settings

Abstract

Social workers possessing cultural awareness and competence working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) within a hospital setting has gained importance due to the various changes to how health care is delivered within the United States hospital system. LGBT individuals seeking care have reported negative experiences and discrimination, adversely impacting their treatment in a hospital setting. Researchers have established the benefits of cultural humility from social workers to develop rapport with LGBT individuals when delivering social work services. With cultural humility serving as a conceptual framework, this study examined the relationship between social work perception of educational experiences associated with cultural humility in practice with LGBT individuals. Data was collected using an individual interview setting. This qualitative study utilized data collected and analyzed from interviews with six social workers.  The participants were recruited via various social media social work professional groups. A theme for the study identified was a lack of formal educational opportunity/preparedness to work with LGBT individuals.  These findings provide insights for social workers working with LGBT individuals in hospital settings.  Utilization of cultural humility approach, when combined with a client centered approach, can impact the social worker’s gaining cultural competence with LGBT individuals in a hospital setting.