Cofone’s research is influenced by practicing in the healthcare field both as a clinical social worker and a registered nurse.
Anne Cofone’s research is influenced by practicing in the healthcare field both as a clinical social worker and a registered nurse.
Current practice includes community and hospice care settings and as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Connecticut. Cofone also has diverse professional experience working with vulnerable populations including: persons with psychiatric diagnoses across the lifespan, homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence, undocumented persons and those who self-identify as outside of the gender binary, as gender fluid, or as transgender.
Transgender persons express being treated disrespectfully, dismissively, and in stereotyped ways. Insurers often require a diagnostic label to reimburse care that pathologizes the transition process. This study is phenomenological and will employ face-to-face interviews about the lived experiences of male-to-female transgender adults. Areas to be explored include: experiences with healthcare providers, including care for the transition process, sense of self, relationships, key life experiences and how the transition process evolves in terms of emotional, physical, professional and personal life changes and growth.
The study is informed by feminist, social construction and queer theories. Themes of empathy, caring and cultural competence on the part of healthcare providers will be explored. A goal of this study is to identify experiences regarding providers’ perspectives toward gender as a fluid process that exists outside of the male-female binary and how providers can practice safe, comprehensive care for this vulnerable population.