Nursing Reflective Essay on Caring for a Patient with HIV

This nursing reflective essay discusses the conflict between public and private self while caring for a patient with HIV. It also highlights the socio-cultural stigma associated with HIV and its implications on nursing practice.

Running head: NURSING REFLECTIVE ESSAY
NURSING REFLECTIVE ESSAY
CARING FOR A PATIENT WITH BLOOD BORN DISEASE (HIV)
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Introduction:
Providing equal care to each patient is my responsibility as a nurse, but in some cases I
stuck between my private and public view, thus hesitate to provide care to some patients
especially to the patient suffering from HIV. HIV has become a serious threat for the health
system and I am afraid of suffering from the disease while providing care service to the person
with HIV. Furthermore, there are some social stigma that restricts me to involve in the treatment
of HIV (Välimäki et al. 2010, pp.674-679). Thus, I am facing difficulties in utilizing my private
and public view to improve the quality of service.
Conflict between public and private self:
My public view indicates that I am bound to provide essential care to the individual,
whereas my private view limits my ability to provide care to the person with HIV. It is my
personal perception that care process of a patient with HIV such as bringing meal, feed them,
change clothes and vital sign assessment require less effort to ensure own safety (Karman et al.
2015, pp.65-75). Thus, I am willing to involve in such care process. However, I feel there are
some other way of caring the HIV patient that needs more safety alert, such as injecting
medicines, blood transfusion, clearing the vomit and feces, conduct IV fluid test and cleaning
urine bag (Välimäki et al. 2010, pp.674-679). According to me there is high chance of getting
infected during such care process, thus I feel uncomfortable in involving in such tasks. Such
stigma and personal belief has been influenced by some cultural stigma. I have recognized that
people with HIV have to suffer from social isolation and negligence. I have learned from some
literature that society beliefs that HIV is self-established and it is mostly contracted by
homosexual people. Our society still isolated such people and as the illness is related to sexual
transmission, the patients have to face enormous insult and blame for their illness (Tomori et al.

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2014, pp.907-913). In addition the person that is suffering from HIV due to using illicit drugs is
also blamed for spreading infection. Such people are characterized as bad people and they are
stigmatized by the community. Such socio-cultural thoughts have contributed to my private view
regarding HIV (Karman et al. 2015, pp.65-75). I know that it is my responsibility to help the
patient in managing the illness, but due to my personal beliefs and fear of social isolation I
restrict myself to involve in the treatment. Such conflict between my private and public self has
created difficulties in reconciling views, thus affected my quality of service.
Implication:
The regulatory authority of nursing provides standard of practice that is compulsory to
maintain for a nurse. Avoid responsibility due to the conflict between public and private view
leads to the breaching of rules provided by the standard (Cannaerts, Gastmans & Casterlé 2014,
pp.861-878). Thus, it is necessary to eradicate such cultural influence from clinical practice. It is
important for the nurses to reflect on their practice and values to identify their mistakes.
Interrogate personal views through reflective practice would help them to utilize their personal
perception in order to improve their quality of service rather than induce them to avoid their
duties (Heffernan et al. 2013, p.45).

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References:
Cannaerts, N., Gastmans, C. & Casterlé, B.D.D 2014. ‘Contribution of ethics education to the
ethical competence of nursing students: Educators’ and students’ perceptions.’ Nursing
ethics, vol. 21, no. 8, pp.861-878.
Heffernan, M., Griffin, M.T.Q., McNulty, R. & Fitzpatrick, J.J 2013. ‘Promoting self-awareness
through reflective practice.’ British Journal of Nursing, vol. 22, no. 1, p.45.
Karman, P., Kool, N., Poslawsky, I.E. & van Meijel, B 2015. ‘Nurses' attitudes towards self‐
harm: a literature review.’ Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, vol. 22, no.
1, pp.65-75.
Tomori, C., Kennedy, C.E., Brahmbhatt, H., Wagman, J.A., Mbwambo, J.K., Likindikoki, S. &
Kerrigan, D.L 2014. ‘Barriers and facilitators of retention in HIV care and treatment
services in Iringa, Tanzania: the importance of socioeconomic and sociocultural
factors., AIDS care, vol. 26, no. 7, pp.907-913.
Välimäki, M., Makkonen, P., Mockiene, V., Aro, I., Blek-Vehkaluoto, M., Istomina, N., Kisper-
Hint, I.R., Staniuliene, V., Koponen, N., Vänskä, M.L. & Suominen, T 2010. ‘Nursing
and midwife students’ willingness to provide care to patients with HIV/AIDS–A
comparative study in Finland, Estonia and Lithuania.’ Nurse education today, vol. 30, no.
7, pp.674-679.