“Coming Out” Against Cancer: Active Learning Strategies Using Technology to Increase Nurse Practitioner Students’ Awareness about Cancer among LGBTQ+

Session Description

Cancer screening is low among those identifying as LGBTQ+ (Haviland et el., 2020; Stimpert, 2020) and is related to factors such as a lack of knowledge, discrimination, health insurance issues, provider knowledge deficit, and/or a fear of hostile treatment (Nelson et al., 2023). Healthcare providers must be aware of these disparities and effectively promote cancer screenings (Brown et al., 2020). Curricular initiatives utilizing active learning strategies and technology can help address this health inequity.

Nurse practitioner (NP) students in a graduate program at a rural public liberal arts university participated with community members in a workshop focused on knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of barriers to cancer screenings among LGBTQ+, and used web-based research and resources to create educational materials for use in community prevention programming.

Results indicated 95% of participants reported increased knowledge about the healthcare needs of LGBTQ+ populations, understanding the differences between attraction, identity and behavior, appropriate terminology, and inclusive strategies to improve cancer screening. Over 90% of participants indicated increased comfort when discussing cancer screening and more motivation to implement workshop content. Three qualitative themes included culturally appropriate communication, increased awareness of LGBTQ+ cancer screening recommendations, and the importance of reflecting on internal biases.

Curricular initiatives that align educational content with the needs of society can promote awareness and increase knowledge of LGBTQ+ patient needs to develop a workforce that can competently care for all patients.

Presenter(s)

Tracy George
Francis Marion University
Florence, SC, USA

Tracy George is an Associate Professor of Nursing, the J.L. Mason Endowed Chair in Health Sciences, and the Coordinator of the Bachelor of General Studies Program at Francis Marion University in Florence, SC. Since 2012, Tracy has taught undergraduate and graduate nursing courses at Francis Marion University. Tracy has worked as a family nurse practitioner since 1999. Tracy continues to work one day per week as a nurse practitioner. She has presented statewide and nationally on nursing and nursing education topics.


Sarah H. Kershner, PhD
Francis Marion University School of Health Sciences
Florence, SC, USA

Prior to her role at Francis Marion, Sarah worked at Fact Forward (formerly SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy) for over nine years where she managed a federal research study supporting the implementation of a reproductive health curricula in South Carolina middle schools aimed at reducing the teen birth rate statewide. Sarah has authored several peer-reviewed articles, presented dozens of presentations nationwide and has been involved on review teams and panels with Mathematica Policy Research, Cornell University and ETR Associates.


Claire DeCristofaro, MD
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, SC, USA

Claire DeCristofaro, MD is a graduate of Hunter College of CUNY, where she was a Thomas Hunter Honors Scholar, and received her MD degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her family practice has been in urban (inner city) New York City, rural TN, and rural SC in the HRSA/free clinic settings, and she has been faculty at healthcare and behavioral health programs and has served as clinical preceptor for medical, pharmacy, FNP and PA students. Currently, she teaches at the Medical University of SC in the graduate division of the College of Nursing, with courses in advanced pathophysiology and advanced pharmacology. She authors continuing education courses with a focus on Controlled Substance prescribing, is a federal grant reviewer for SAMHSA , IHS, and DHHS (OASH Office of Population Affairs and OASH Office of Women’s Health). She has received several teaching awards, and has published on the scholarship of teaching and learning as well as clinical topics. Book chapters have included psychopharmacology for integrated behavioral health practice and use of mobile technology in nursing education. Education conference presentations include student engagement in the online discussion board, peer review of online teaching, assessment of online courses, online communities in graduate nursing education, online resources for adult arts education, the flipped classroom, service learning, health literacy, collegial collaboration, & mobile technology in teaching. She enjoys stressing the practical aspects of advances in basic science as they apply to clinical therapeutics.

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