Effectiveness of an HIV/AIDS educational programme for Chinese nurses.
OBJECTIVE
This paper reports a study examining the effect of a multifaceted HIV/AIDS educational intervention on the knowledge, attitudes and willingness of Chinese nurses in caring for patients with human immunodeficiency virus.


BACKGROUND
The expanding HIV/AIDS epidemic challenges nurses to increase their knowledge about this devastating illness to provide effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care to their patients. HIV/AIDS educational interventions, which were developed for North American and European nurses, have not been studied among nurses in other societies.


METHODS
The study employed a pretest, post-test experimental design with 208 nurses from seven Chinese provinces. The intervention consisted of a 5-day workshop comprising didactic lectures interspersed with activities designed to elicit discussion of participants' values and personal feelings about HIV/AIDS. Bloom's Taxonomy and principles of good HIV/AIDS educational practice guided the educational intervention. Outcome variables were HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitude toward patients with HIV/AIDS (including empathy for and desire to avoid these patients) and willingness to provide nursing care to these patients. The data were collected in 2003.


RESULTS
At baseline, HIV/AIDS knowledge was not high and attitudes and willingness to care were neutral. Knowledge, attitudes toward patients with HIV/AIDS and willingness to provide nursing care to these patients were each improved at the conclusion of the workshop (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
As the HIV/AIDS epidemic expands, nurses will be called upon to deliver competent, compassionate and comprehensive care to patients and their significant others. Intensive, interactive HIV/AIDS professional workshops can contribute to the national effort by increasing knowledge and improving attitudes towards and willingness to provide nursing care for patients with HIV/AIDS.
Yale School of Nursing, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. ann.williams@yale.edu
Ann B
AB
Williams
Honghong
H
Wang
Jane
J
Burgess
Chenghui
C
Wu
Yuxiu
Y
Gong
Yao
Y
Li
D002681:China; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D004645:Empathy; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role