Trans woman's journey as a healthcare worker

The nursing world has embraced me in ways I cannot imagine. I want to say "Thank you."

I am a little confused to start with concerning who embraced me. The nursing world or maybe the healthcare community. I did a little research but I could not find anything about what the healthcare community means. So, I will just be more specific about the nursing world. Saying "the world" has a huge following and I am not sure if the nursing world is fully there yet because of the negative experiences and reports in the workplace and that includes nursing. I have experienced it firsthand. Just to be clear, it is a separate topic when we talk about healthcare barriers that the LGBTQ patients are experiencing.

Let me start with a big "Thank you" to my classmates, instructors, colleagues, co-workers and supervisors who have been very supportive of my journey. I know from the beginning that there would be hurdles that I needed to overcome in the workplace. Oh boy, they notice, those hips and struts. I had my worries back then and even up to now I still have those slight uneasiness that might come up with families or other staff who are not familiar with what I am going through. However, I always just think of my daily goal, ensure that the patients are safe and that is more than enough to make me go home with less apprehension. Those people have helped me navigate some process that I was not familiar with, guided me when things are not going well. Also, backed me up with the perplexity of the job that we do. I am truly grateful.

I am a proud Registered Nurse

I felt that anyone that worked in healthcare has dealt with some or maybe a bit of LGBTQ issues in the workplace. I am sure most of us had patients who are gay or lesbian or had family members visiting their loved ones who introduce themselves, "I am visiting my partner" or "This is my partner, we are visiting Mom." The word partner might not ring a bell right away but you get it after a few visits. Our exposure made it easier to understand the complexity of LGBTQ issues. If not understand, it gives some familiarity. On the other hand, despite those, some remains close-minded.

I started nursing in Canada in 2010, and I was blending in. There were some issues that I encountered along the way but hey, I was new. I was learning the trade and learning the policies, enhancing my skills, and gaining confidence. Part of it too was finding out myself and there was the start of the long hair, the makeup, and the change in scrub pants (started buying the female ones). People started asking questions,"What pronoun should I use?","Are you transitioning?", "Something's different, what is going on?" Nothing impolite, which I truly appreciate during those times but they were truly uncomfortable. I know that people would notice, but I thought I was doing some stealth moves, yet, they were noticed. Overall, there was that period that it felt awkward coming in to work.

My stint as a travel nurse in Manitoba and Labrador contributed to my confidence. Just learning to let go and be my true self. The reason was I was with new people. They don't know me well enough. I was already dressing up that time and starting to socially transition. The openness of the people was instrumental and played a big role to my mental health. The care staff in Dauphin plus the fact that I was surrounded by some familiar faces helped a lot, too. Labrador was best kind. I have never experienced such kindness and thinking about it now, still makes me cry. The fact that even though I was just starting with my transition, the manager was very accommodating. I was fortunate.

The nursing world has embraced me. Thank you!

It became different when I started to slow down with my travel adventures and I had to go back to school to do graduate school. I had to navigate another unknown system as a trans woman. I remember one of my good friends during break time, "Let's go to the washroom." I will join of course but then I will go separate ways because I was scared. I will go to the gender neutral bathroom where I feel safe. Then after, she will ask, "Where have you been, we were waiting for you in the women's washroom." I would just reply, "It is too crowded, there." I did not have to tell, she knows and that is when the word "inclusive" gave me a new meaning.

Too many changes and another change came when I stepped in to a leadership position at work. The title has no bearing whatsoever, another unfamiliar territory. I am still the same cheerful nurse, but I have to change gears for I am not only dealing with a set of 5-7 patients or 20-30 residents but I am dealing with the entire building and collaboration is no joke. I was just happy that the door that they opened for me before continues to be open. The work as a staff nurse is not identical to a Care Coordinator. I appreciate every staff member who embraces my sass and does not think of my sexual identity whatsoever. Respect and communication are the key.

I must say that the nursing world has been kind to me, and I thank everyone who I have worked with and worked for. The systems that I had to learn and handle seem insurmountable, but I was determined to stay. Once again, thank you nursing.