Impact of intervention programs on nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to take care of patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: a descriptive review.
OBJECTIVE
This paper reviews the current literature on intervention programs designed to improve nurses' knowledge and attitudes to human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and their willingness to take care of patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It also explores the impact of these intervention programs.


METHODS
The MEDLINE and Pubmed, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, EbscoHost, ERIC databases were searched for relevant English-language citations between 1997 and 2007 using the following search terms: human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, nurse, intervention, teaching, education, knowledge, attitude, and willingness. Relevant articles were retrieved, reviewed, and assessed. A total of 16 articles were considered appropriate and selected for content analysis.


RESULTS
We identified articles that reported on intervention programs to improve nurses' knowledge and attitudes and their willingness to take care of patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Eight of the intervention studies included lectures among their methods of educational intervention. The nurse sample sizes (n) ranged from 12 to 552. Many of the studies involved one experimental/intervention group and one control group. The intervention programs varied in terms of their methodological rigor. Almost all reported one or more statistically significant effects.


CONCLUSIONS
The review highlights the need for well-designed, methodologically sound research on outcomes of nursing education. Future studies should examine not only the short-term effectiveness of intervention programs in terms of changing attitudes and increasing willingness to care, but also their impact in the longer term.
Klaipeda University, Lithuania. vida.mockiene@ku.lt
Vida
V
Mockiene
Tarja
T
Suominen
Maritta
M
Välimäki
Artūras
A
Razbadauskas
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000451:nursing*; D004506:Education, Nursing; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000451:nursing*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009732:Nursing Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires