Intention to care for gay and lesbian patients and knowledge about homosexuality: A comparison of Taiwanese nurses in 2005 and in 2017

Objective: To examine the differences in the levels of intention to care for gay and lesbian patients and knowledge regarding homosexuality among Taiwanese nurses between 2005 and 2017 and the moderators of these differences.

Design and sample: This two-wave survey study was conducted on nurses in 2005 (N = 1,176; Survey 2005) and 2017 (N = 1,519; Survey 2017) recruited from three hospitals.

Measurements: An anonymous self-report questionnaire was used.

Results: In Survey 2017, the nurses expressed both a higher intention to care for gay and lesbian patients and degree of knowledge regarding homosexuality than did those in Survey 2005. The experience of providing care for gay or lesbian patients moderated the association between the time of the survey and intention to care for gay and lesbian patients. Moreover, having gay or lesbian friends or relatives moderated the association between the time of the survey and knowledge about homosexuality.

Conclusions: Nurses' intention to care for gay and lesbian patients and knowledge regarding homosexuality in Taiwan significantly increased from 2005 to 2017. The experience of providing care for gay and lesbian patients and having gay or lesbian friends or relatives moderated the increase of nurses' intention to care and knowledge.