Wolfigang's Story: A Virtual Simulation Supporting Effective and Supportive Communication With an Older Gay Adult

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQI2S) older adults face barriers to quality health care, often because practitioners misunderstand the unique health needs of this population. Education is essential to support nurses in maintaining culturally safe practice. Wolfgang’s Story, a virtual simulation developed as an educational resource to address this need, focuses on an interaction between an older gay adult and a nurse during a health-care encounter, exploring the use of appropriate terminology, personal assumptions, biases, and key concepts related to heterosexism and to grief. The aim of the article is to report on the development, implementation, and evaluation of this project.