title: Knowledge and attitudes of Jordanian nurses towards patients with HIV/AIDS: findings from a nationwide survey.
abstract: This study explored the knowledge and attitudes of Jordanian nurses toward patients with HIV/AIDS, particularly in regards to their sources of information and education. This survey utilized a cross-sectional design. A self-administered questionnaire developed by Eckstein was used in collecting the data. A total of 922 nurses completed the questionnaire. Overall, Jordanian nurses expressed negative attitudes toward patients with HIV/AIDS, and their level of HIV/AIDS knowledge was weak. Weak knowledge level was recorded among nurses in the following subsections: agent and immunology; course and manifestation; transmission and incidence; and precaution and prevention. Only in one subsection (risk group), did nurses show a good level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS. More than two-thirds of nurses (84%) refused to provide care to patients who tested positive for HIV/AIDS. Most of the nurse participants believed that currently provided HIV/AIDS information resources were inadequate (81.4 %). The majority of nurses were interested in support groups for staff nurses (96.5%). The major source of HIV/AIDS information obtained by Jordanian nurses was through Internet web sites (52.7%). The majority of nurses (96.2%) ranked their fear of getting AIDS from their nursing practice as overwhelming. The total attitude of participants towards patients with HIV/AIDS in all five subsections (i.e., fear of contagion, social stigma, fatal outcome of the disease, direct care, and education and counseling) was negative (84.3%). Accurate knowledge about HIV/AIDS along with an in-depth understanding of patients? needs can help alleviate much of the fear, anxiety, and stigma associated with caring for patients with HIV/AIDS.
authors.affiliation: Hashemite University, School of Nursing, Zarqa, Jordan. hassan zeinab@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Zeinab M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Moayad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wahsheh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004506:Education, Nursing; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000451:nursing*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam; D007597:Jordan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology; D011287:Prejudice; D016079:Refusal to Treat; D057545:Social Stigma