The Role of Nursing Education in HIV Prevention and Patient Care

This report focuses on the critical role of nursing education in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It emphasizes the need for nurses to be well-informed about HIV transmission, prevention strategies, and patient care protocols. The report highlights the importance of educating both nurses and the public on HIV, addressing topics such as risk factors, safe sex practices, and the significance of early diagnosis and treatment. It also discusses the administration of antiretroviral drugs, post-exposure prophylaxis, and the role of nurses in providing emotional support and managing opportunistic infections. The report underscores the importance of dispelling stigma, promoting behavioral change, and implementing comprehensive HIV/AIDS programs to effectively reduce the spread of the virus and improve the quality of life for those affected. The report also references several studies and resources to support the information provided.

Running Head: HIV IN NURSING EDUCATION 1
HIV in Nursing Education
Name
Institutional Affiliation

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HIV in Nursing Education
An identifiable teaching and learning curve by the nurses is paramount to aiding nurses
in teaching on ways and means of caring for patients with HIV and AIDs as well as in arming
them with knowledge intended for educating the masses on prevention and the spread of the
disease as well as evaluation of the disease and monitoring. Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(HIV) as research has been associated with (SIV) simian immunodeficiency virus transmitted
from a particular type of chimpanzee in West Africa which was hunted by the indigenous West
Africans and for food and mutated into HIV on contact with the hunter's blood. It has spread over
decades to other parts of the world.
HIV virus was found in 1983 by French researchers at the Pasteur Institute in France as
the primary course of AIDS(acquired immune deficiency syndrome).At about the same time in
the United States of America Center for Disease control (CDC) listed groups of people at risk of
contracting and spreading the disease (ANCA & ANA, 2007). Haitians, Homosexuals,
hemophiliacs and heroin addicts. Haitians are thought to have carried the HIV virus from Africa
to the Haiti Island. Which spread rapidly from the island heavily associated with sex tourism in
the 70s.Homosexuals have an increased risk due to the fact that penetration is by both partners vis
a vis heterosexual sex which only one partner penetrates during coitus (Kapiga, Hayes & Buvé,
2010). Hemophiliacs risk of contracting HIV is higher as their as they require blood regularly.
Blood transfusions enable them to get their blood to normal clotting capabilities. Back then they
were at even higher risk of contracting and eventually transmitting the disease due to lack of
properly screened transfusion blood. Last heroin addicts, as well as users of needle injectable
drugs that share the needles, do transmit as they did help from the start in spreading the disease
(Cai et al., 2010).

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Today HIV virus is commonly spread through contact with infected body fluids of a
human to another human. It is the very same knowledge that nurses are and should be equipped
with in order to be able to dispense treatment and educative information on prevention of the
disease, re-infection of those patients already infected with the disease as well as how to care for
those already infected and affected (Cai et al., 2010).
Nurses roles in the reduction of HIV spread and transmissions call for a change of
strategy in regard especially to the victimization of people living with the virus as well as
enlightening those people that are not infected but affected by the disease. This would be a
relative or people who cohabit or leave with patients of HIV and AIDs. In the administration of
care for the patients, nurses ought to educate and enlighten patients on the various means and
ways they can take care of themselves to wade off opportunistic illnesses. In Africa where the
prevalence rate of the virus is higher than in other parts of the globe victimization can lead and in
some instances has to lead to new infections where someone suffering from the disease due to
victimization has lead to infecting others. Behavioral change should be taught to both affected and
infected (Tunnicliff et al., 2013).
During nursing care, nurses ought to be trained on the best and most effective
mechanisms of educating masses as well as patients in regard to living with the HIV and AIDS as
well as how people perceive the disease. For instance in Uganda –a country that at one time had
the highest number of HIV cases the government introduced /implemented comprehensive
programs for HIV and AIDS which included best birth practices, prevention of infection from
mother to infants among others. A national awareness program was also implemented to educate
the citizens of the country on HIV and AIDS (Areti, 2011).

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Best educative nursing mechanisms in the fight against HIV infections are those that are
not fear oriented. Attitude change towards those suffering from the disease and perception
towards the disease, informative education in regard to prevention of the spread of the virus,
change of lifestyle behavior and implementation of skills acquired by trained nurses are among
the most effective in regard to curbing HIV infection. In many parts of the world, many nurses are
involved in different risk groups based on age-sex orientation among others on safe sex practices
and dangers associated with needle sharing. Nurses learn to educate patients on how best to
manage their health and cope with different physical and emotional symptoms that are associated
with HIV and AIDS (Willard, Nelson, Reyes & Linn, 2016).
Nursing education needs a critical analysis for educating populations including patients
on the pros and cons of knowing individual HIV status. Knowing advantages and disadvantages a
nurse can be able to convince an individual that having the virus is not a death sentence for
instance a nurse can use the information to minimize anxiety over one's medical health, influence
sexual behavior change of an infected individual, educate patients on reinfection methods of
prevention, inform partners of status (Knebel et al., 2008).
Also, a nurse can be able to educate people based on knowledge as to why people would
rather not know their HIV status, reasons for not wanting to be tested can include psychological
trauma and victimization. A nurse can easily know how to deal with each and every individual for
best counseling support and provision of best medication and support. It is knowledge equipped in
nurses that can help people make informed decisions in regard to HIV infection. With nurses
representing almost 90 percent of health care givers Nursing industry is an integral part of HIV
infection prevention as since the emergence of the disease and before antiretroviral drugs were

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availed nurses gave care to the patients both at medical facilities and at the homes where patients
resided (Peate et al., 2002).
Today trained nurses have taken over the responsibility of educating and administration
of antiretroviral medications in collaboration with other nurses as well as physicians. This
administration of antiretroviral also includes administration of post-exposure prophylaxis PEP
drugs that prevent infection once someone has been exposed to body fluids deemed to be infected
within thirty-six hours to seventy-two hours of exposure.

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References
Areti, S. (2011). Student nurses perceptions on caring for people with hiv. Health Science
Journal.
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care., & American Nurses' Association. (2007). HIV/AIDS
nursing: Scope and standards of practice. Silver Spring, Md: Nursesbooks.org.
Cai, Y., Shi, R., Shen, T., Pei, B., Jiang, X., Ye, X., ... & Shang, M. (2010). A study of
HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitude and behaviors among female sex workers in
Shanghai China. BMC Public Health, 10(1), 377.
Kapiga, S., Hayes, R., & Buvé, A. (2010). HIV prevention–where now? Background and
introduction.
Knebel, E., Puttkammer, N., Demes, A., Devirois, R., & Prismy, M. (2008). Developing a
competency-based curriculum in HIV for nursing schools in Haiti. Human
Resources for Health, 6(1), 17.
Peate, I., Suominen, T., Välimäki, M., Lohrmann, C., & Muinonen, U. (2002). HIV/AIDS
and its impact on student nurses. Nurse Education Today, 22(6), 492-501.
Tunnicliff, S. A., Piercy, H., Bowman, C. A., Hughes, C., & Goyder, E. C. (2013). The
contribution of the HIV specialist nurse to HIV care: a scoping review. Journal of
clinical nursing, 22(23-24), 3349.
Willard, S., Nelson, J., Reyes, D., & Linn, A. (2016). Advancing HIV Nursing Practice: The
Doctor of Nursing Practice HIV Specialty at Rutgers, the State University of New
Jersey. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 27(3), 234-239.

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