Stavropoulou Areti
Background: AIDS is a disease with specific characteristics and caring for people with HIV requires clinical expertise as well as high-quality skills for health care providers. Although there is research evidence regarding the value of education in improving care within HIV context, nurse students’ perceptions about caring for HIV people in Greece remain mostly unexplored. Aim: The aim of the study is to explore nurse students’ perceptions about caring and communicating with HIV people in Greece. Method and material: Senior nurse students were consisted the study population. A questionnaire of 21 open-ended and close-ended questions was used. Areas of investigation included: a) Attitudes towards HIV care, b) Communication with people with HIV and their relatives, c) Education and communication with people with HIV. Descriptive statistical analysis was used for the interpretation of the data. Results: A sample of 100 senior nurse students of the Technological Educational Institution of Crete participated in the study. The majority of the participants (60%) seemed confident of caring for people with HIV. However, a number of them (40%) stated that were very afraid of providing care to people with HIV. Participants suggested that education is an important factor for improving communication between health professionals and patients (65%). The situations that are considered to be the most stressful for nurse students when caring for people with HIV are the nursing workload (86%), and the contact with the patients (79%). Conclusion: The participants expressed an interest in gaining additional training related to HIV context. Systematic education, information giving, administrative, technical and psychological support are the most important needs for the nurse students who care for people with HIV.
