Rady grad student profile: Adam Brandt aims to fill 2SLGBTQIA+ research gap in nursing
Over the last year, Adam Brandt, a master’s student in the College of Nursing, has received several awards for their research regarding the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ nurses, including the Rady Faculty Dean’s Prize and, most recently, a Research Manitoba training award.
Brandt, who identifies as queer, grew up on a farm outside of Blumenort, Man. with a passion for arts and photography. He spent a few years working as a health care aide and was inspired by the nurses he worked with and his older sister to enter the nursing profession.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Red River College, he worked for three years in emergency nursing in Winnipeg before deciding to pursue graduate studies. He joined the master’s program in 2021, with a focus on its clinical stream, and continues to work part time as an emergency nurse.
UM Today spoke with Brandt to learn about what motivates him and their experience as a master’s student at UM.
Can you describe your research and why you see it as important?
I am exploring two research questions with my thesis. Broadly, what are the experiences of nurses who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ in providing nursing care in Winnipeg? And how do nurses who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ that I interview think their identity affects their practice?
In grad school, I worked on a project looking at the history of queer and trans nurses. And it felt like I was uncovering this unwritten history, or this rich history, about queer and trans nurses within the profession that I hadn’t known about before. So, I think listening to the experiences of nurses who are 2SLGBTQIA+, will have really meaningful implications for why we need increased diversity within curriculum and the workplace.
What got you interested in this topic?
I saw a stark contrast between my undergraduate nursing education and working in clinical practice. In my undergraduate education, I did not see people who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ in the curriculum, student body or faculty. Yet in clinical practice, I met nurses who were strong allies for their patients and colleagues who identified as 2SLGBTQIA+, and also met nurses who identified as 2SLGBTQIA+. This caused me to delve into the history of experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ nurses, which I found research lacks in, and I wanted to fill that gap with my own research.
My experiences working as a nurse, experiencing and witnessing homophobia, transphobia, heteronormativity and cisnormativity, inspired me to research if other nurses have similar experiences and ultimately create positive change within the profession and patients.
You received $20,000 funding from Research Manitoba for your project titled The Lived Experiences of Nurses Who Identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ in Providing Nursing Care Within an Urban Prairie Setting: An Interpretive Descriptive Study. How did it feel to be recognized in this way?
Receiving funding from Research Manitoba was validation that my research is needed within health care. It is an honour and bolsters my confidence that I am the right person to do this work. I often think about the phrase “nothing about us, without us,” which applies to my identity being an asset in doing research with nurses who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+.
What are your future plans?
I went into the program thinking I wanted to be a clinical nurse specialist. I recognize that there are not very many clinical nurse specialist jobs in Manitoba, but hopefully that can change. I would love to see a specific clinical nurse specialist position for 2SLGBTQIA+ patients to help navigate the system and provide specialized care, so that’s an option. I didn’t think of myself as a leader, or the possibility of working in leadership, but now that is a possibility. And also furthering my studies – I never imagined myself getting a nursing degree, never mind a master of nursing degree, so doctoral studies is an option as well.