Why is Pronoun Use in Healthcare Important?
We have always had patients who feel they do not align with pronouns that are assigned to them based on their appearance or genitalia. Now that more people are learning about what different pronouns mean, it is time to normalize pronoun use in health with all the people we work with and serve.
More often than not, we automatically place a person into a gender category. This is not something that is easy to undo, but what is easy is to just ask someone what their pronouns are, if they are comfortable sharing them, or first share your own. On their own time, a patient may want to disclose this to you. The first step to that is showing you are accepting of their identity and will address them correctly. After all, we are a field about language, and this is a way language is evolving that we need to include in our practice.
Normalizing Pronoun Use in Healthcare
If you stop to take the time and think about it, gender pronouns are present in many of our materials. Here are some items that most of the time only refer to the gender binary:
- Intake forms
- Assessment materials (e.g. original cookie theft picture)
- Picture books (depending on the ones you pick!)
- Bathroom signs
- Classroom rules (e.g. Line up boy girl/boy girl).
- Titles (M’am/sir; Ms./Mrs., Mr.)
1. Change Your Introduction To Include Pronouns
This might seem simple and self-explanatory, but this can go a long way to share the idea that you are inclusive and supportive of different gender identities. How can you share your pronouns? So many ways!!
- Tell a person. Every time you introduce yourself, share your pronouns. To every patient. And then you can continue on with your typical introduction. Say “My name is Ms. AlJunaidi, and my pronouns are she/her/hers.”
- Have it written or shown somewhere on your badge. I have a pronoun pin, but you could also write it on a nametag.
- Post your pronouns on you wall. Make a sign where you can show your pronouns so people can see. Even just looking at it every time they come in the room makes it more normal.
- Add it to your email signature and other professional webpages (e.g. LinkedIn, practice website). For example, my signature is: Norah AlJunaidi (she/her/hers). Put it in your social media bios too, especially if you have an account that relates to your profession.
- If you have colleagues that use pronouns like they/them, use them all the time, but especially as a model for other students and coworkers. I have seen teachers on TikTok that use they/them pronouns students call them Teacher _____.
2. Change Your Therapy Materials
This does not mean you have to re-invent the wheel! Some materials may not be changeable. If there comes a question where a child may be identifying whether a picture reflects a boy or a girl, ask them what made them choose that particular gender. If they say something like “This is a boy because he has pants”, this is an opportunity to share that girls can wear pants as well. That’s a more simple example, but you get the idea.
When you are creating your own therapy materials, create characters that could be non-human like monsters or dragons, and make them more gender neutral, even referring to them as they. This could be used in an activity such as story sequencing, and the character you create could be used for multiple activities for more exposures.
Use books with characters of different gender identities. More and more children’s books are reflecting different identities, and using these books over older, more “traditional” stories is a great way to incorporate pronouns. Here are 9 books about gender identity you can use!
I recommend using the gender unicorn or making your own social story about gender pronouns.
If you think these ideas are something your district or workplace won’t allow- start advocating for that to change.
3. Change Your Team Mindset About Using Pronouns
The use of pronouns won’t become normalized until everyone in a space is using it.
Try and advocate for your team to all add your pronouns to their email signature, or buy pronoun pins for everyone in the office. If you aim to start the initiative yourself or with a group, and have a concrete plan, it will likely go far. We will be talking later this month about how to develop that plan.
If it doesn’t lead by example. Wear your pin in sessions and around your workspace and see if it catches on. You never know!
4. Change Your Forms
Make it so it is as easy as possible for people to share information about their gender. Most forms have two boxes for male and female. Some have added non-binary or other as an option. One way you can ask to get the most information that will accurately represent an individual’s experience is to:
- Ask their current gender identity with many options where they can choose more than one.
- Ask what sex they were assigned at birth.
- Ask what pronouns they prefer, and again give them the option to check more than one.
More importantly, make sure it is known that patients do not have to disclose this information to you. Sharing your gender identity can be dangerous for many individuals, so it will take time and trust for some to share that with even one healthcare provider.
Be that care provider they can trust.
5. Change Your Environment
Just like your therapy materials, you want your decorations to be inclusive and diverse as well. Here are some ideas of what you can put around your workspace:
- Photos of different types of families featuring people of different gender identities and/or sexualities. (Don’t forget- these are two different things! Youtuber Brendan Jordan described the difference as “gender identity is who you go to bed and sexual orientation is who you go to bed with”. The two do not always interest.
- Have a rainbow or other sign that shows people of different gender identities and sexualities are welcome.
- Include brochures that will be helpful to patients that are gender diverse.
- Have gender neutral bathrooms.
- Include books with diverse gender identities in the waiting room such as the ones I shared above.
- Create a non-discrimination policy including for gender identity and make sure it is posted and easily seen in your waiting room.
This is day 2 of Better Speech and Hearing Month. Thanks for reading! If you missed day one, you can check it out here. If you want to learn more about pronouns, head over to my LGBTQIA+ Dictionary!
Come back tomorrow to learn more about cultural sensitivity as an SLP. For more cultural sensitivity tips, make sure to subscribe to my SLP Survival Newsletter!
