Original Research Article
Year: 2017 | Month: February | Volume: 7 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 233-242
Awareness Regarding the Care of Patients with HIV/AIDS among the Nurses Working at BPKIHS, Nepal
Erina Shrestha1, Pushpa Parajuli2, Dr Ram Sharan Mehta2, Gayanand Mandal3
1Senior Instructor, 2Professor, 3Additional Professor,
Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.
Corresponding Author: Erina Shrestha
ABSTRACT
Background: Nurses play a critical role in caring the HIV positive patient. A knowledge deficit about HIV/AIDS nursing care could logically affect outcomes of care for these patients. Negative attitudes and behaviors related to HIV/AIDS might deter those in particular risk groups, the individuals with the disease, their family members and the society from providing support and treatment.
Objective: This study attempts to determine the knowledge and attitude regarding the care of HIV/AIDS patient, to find out the association between knowledge and practice with the selected variables and to find the correlation of knowledge with practice.
Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 207 nurses working at BPKIHS, Dharan. Stratified random sampling based on population proportionate method was adopted. Data were collected using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at level of significance 0.05.
Result: The study showed moderately adequate knowledge among majority (92.3%) of the nurses. More than half (50.7%) of the nurses had favorable attitude towards the care of patient with HIV/AIDS. There was no significant association between the knowledge and attitude with the socio-demographic variable, training and experience of care of HIV/AIDS patient. Knowledge regarding the care of patient with HIV/AIDS has significant positive correlation with attitude.
Conclusion: The study revealed that the majority of the nurses have moderately adequate knowledge regarding the care of patient with HIV/AIDS and most of the nurses have favorable attitude towards the care of patient with HIV/AIDS. It is therefore pertinent that all health care providers have access to up-to-date information on all aspects of HIV/AIDS so that they can provide quality care and services without stigmatizing and without being judgmental.
Key words: Attitude, awareness, HIV/AIDS, knowledge, nurses.