LGBTQIA+ inclusive care training prepares clinicians to deliver identity-affirming, non-discriminatory healthcare across clinical environments. Many states and healthcare organizations mandate or strongly encourage this competency to reduce health disparities, build patient trust, and safeguard resident rights in acute, post-acute, and long-term care settings.
What does the training cover?
Inclusive care education provides practical communication strategies, regulatory awareness, and clinical guidelines tailored to LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Communication and identity respect
- Pronouns and Names: Consistently using chosen names and personal pronouns across all verbal interactions and clinical documentation.
- Family Recognition: Understanding non-traditional family structures and honoring designated support persons during care planning and visitation.
Privacy and patient rights
- Confidentiality: Protecting personal health data and avoiding non-essential disclosures regarding gender identity or sexual orientation.
- Anti-Discrimination Protocols: Upholding state, federal, and facility non-discrimination policies to ensure a safe environment for all residents and patients.
Health equity and clinical care
- Disparity Awareness: Addressing specific health risks and social determinants affecting LGBTQIA+ populations.
- Respectful Personal Care: Delivering daily hygiene, physical exams, and personal care in a manner that preserves dignity and respects individual boundaries.
Why is LGBTQIA+ training required?
LGBTQIA+ individuals, particularly older adults and gender-diverse patients, historically face barriers or hesitation when accessing care. Requiring this training ensures healthcare teams maintain high standards of dignity, eliminate bias, and create safe clinical spaces where patients feel comfortable discussing their health needs.
What does it look like on a shift?
On shift, this training translates into attentive, respectful practice: using correct pronouns, treating designated partners as immediate family, maintaining privacy during personal care, and ensuring documentation accurately reflects patient preferences without taking extra time.
Complete your credential
If the credential is a facility-specific training or orientation, find the relevant course in ShiftReady or access approved modules through organizations such as GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality.
Adding it to your profile
- Sign up or Log in, then navigate to your profile settings.
- Tap Menu in the top left corner.
- Select Profile.
- Scroll to the Credentials section.
- Tap Add your Credential and select LGBTQIA+.
- Upload proof of your credential (PDF, WORD, JPG, or PNG).
- Add any further required details (issue date, expiration date).
- Optional: Add a note with any necessary clarifying information.
Sign up as a clinician and check whether the shifts on your list require this credential before requesting them. For additional training tools and clinical guidance, visit GLMA or explore courses on ShiftReady.
