Nursing Staff Attitude Toward the Care of HIV/AIDS Patients: A Quality Study

Abstract

Introduction: During care of patients with AIDS, health professionals and especially nursing staff, have to cope with their fear of contagion and the feeling of poor knowledge regarding both preventive measures and by creating a safe environment for the patient's physical and mental health. Aim: The investigation of nursing staff perception, attitudes and behaviors towards patients with HIV/AIDS. Method: A qualitative research design was used. The study was conducted in a public general hospital of Athens following ethical approval by the Hospital’s Scientific Council. Nursing staff members delivering care to patients with HIV/AIDS, were purposefully selected and invited to participate. Data collection was conducted with semi-structured individual interviews and the data were interpreted with qualitative content analysis. The final sample included 12 members of the nursing staff. Results: The participants experienced various levels of continuous education/information regarding the care of patients with HIV/AIDS. Although most of them consider that they take the necessary and appropriate precautions, sometimes they found difficult to work following the best practices. Finally, it seemed that they had a moral responsibility to their patients' care while they said that their religious faith guided them to care their patients with dignity. Conclusions: The nursing organizations should pay attention in updating the competences of nursing staff members who care for patients with HIV/AIDS that seems to be a prerequisite for decisively influencing their attitudes.