Digital Standardized Patients: Tanner Bailey

Tanner Bailey is a 30-year-old transgender man who works as a theatre director at a queer theatre company. In his spare time, he loves working out and watching old movies. He is proactive about his health and happiness. Tanner appears in two different simulations in Advanced Pharmacology and Community Health DCEs, where cases highlight the difficulties trans people face on a daily basis due to unjust bias including regular discrimination in health care and the job sector. Bias against transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people in healthcare can lead to significant health disparities and limited access to appropriate care (Sherman et al., 2021). He also appears in the Advanced Diagnostics DCE where students collaborate with Preceptor Diana to determine a working medical diagnosis from his visit to the clinic. By featuring Tanner in three different simulation experiences, students across nursing education have a higher chance of interacting with a transgender patient, which they may not have the opportunity to in traditional clinicals.

For Tanner’s appearance in the Community Health DCE, Shadow Health worked with Trans Equity Consulting, the same consulting agency referenced for Lupe’s case. With their guidance, Shadow Health’s development teams crafted a whole, authentic representation of Tanner and his experiences in Shadowville.

Similar to Lupe, Tanner’s simulation also includes a Rapport Building activity. According to consultant input, establishing rapport with a trans client is extremely important during a visit. This population has often had negative experiences in the healthcare system—research shows that 25% of trans patients report delaying healthcare-seeking out of fear of mistreatment and discrimination. In addition to asking about pronouns and his preferred name, students will also determine what terms Tanner prefers for referencing his anatomy (he prefers “chest” instead of “breast”); and discussing Tanner’s preferences for physical examination prior to beginning the exam.

Additionally, Shadow Health recently conducted research, published in Nurse Educator, to determine the effect of a virtual patient simulation scenario of caring for a transgender adult on nursing students’ attitudes and beliefs about transgender people. Study findings support experiential learning in nursing as an effective tool in teaching cultural competence and sensitivity when caring for transgender patients.