Enhancing Nursing Students’ Clinical Competence Through a Community-Partnered LGBTQIA+ Workshop in Hong Kong: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

Introduction: Nursing education in Hong Kong often overlooks LGBTQIA+-inclusive content, leaving nursing students with inadequate clinical competence to address health disparities faced by these populations. Methods: We evaluated a 6-hour, contact-based LGBTQIA+ workshop involving 32 nursing students using LGBT-DOCSS scale at baseline, post-workshop, and 2-month follow-up. Focus-group discussions among 21 participants explored their experiences and perspectives. Results: The mean LGBT-DOCSS score increased significantly immediately post workshop (mean difference [MD] = 0.74, 95% CI: [0.32, 1.15], p < .001) and was maintained at the 2-month follow-up (MD = 0.78, 95% CI: [0.39, 1.16], p < .001). The results showed significant improvements in participants’ clinical preparedness and knowledge (both p < .05) immediately after the workshop, with gains sustained at 2-month follow-up. Qualitative findings revealed that participants overwhelmingly endorsed the workshop’s structure and valued the storytelling and case scenario discussions. Discussion: A community-driven, contact-based workshop effectively enhanced LGBTQIA+ clinical competence among nursing students.