title: Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of nurses and nursing students towards HIV/AIDS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe attitudes, knowledge and perceptions of nurses and nursing students towards the people who live with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Bibliographic study in which six electronic databases were searched using the key words: "attitude", "knowledge", "nursing", perceptions", "HIV/AIDS". Publications between 1998 and 2007 were considered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  560 articles limited by scientific researches or ministerial reports membership were retrieved. Finally a total of 38 publications were selected, the analysis showed that the level of knowledge of nurses and nursing students about PLWHA is good and the attitudes towards HIV/AIDS have improved over time. Nurses and nursing students have been able to identify both positive and negative aspects in the PLWHA care personally and professionally because there is a more favourable perception.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are few studies in Latin America and Chile that study the attitudes and knowledge of the studied population towards PLWHA. According to publications found the knowledge and attitudes have improved because the perception is more favourable.
authors: Enfermera. Policlínico de Pediatría en Hospital San Juan de Dios de Santiago, Chile. iconejer@uc.cl.
authors: Irma Conejeros
authors: IC
authors: Vallejos
authors: Enfermera. Laboratorio del Hospital Clínico UC de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. hemig@uc.cl.
authors: Helga Emig
authors: HE
authors: Sánchez
authors: Enfermera Matrona, Magíster en Ciencias, Doctora en Filosofía de las Ciencias de la Salud Pública. Directora de Investigación, Coordina-dora de la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile. lferrerl@uc.cl.
authors: Lilian Ferrer
authors: LF
authors: Lagunas
authors: Enfermera Matrona. Magíster en Epidemiología, Candidata a Doctora en Ciencias de la Salud. Profesora investigadora de la Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile. bcabieses@udd.cl.
authors: Báltica Cabieses
authors: BC
authors: Valdés
authors: Enfermera Matrona, Magíster en Salud Pública, Doctora en Salud Pública. Académica de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, y de la Universidad de Miami, Estados Unidos. rcianell@uc.cl.
authors: Rosina Cianelli
authors: RC
authors: Acosta
keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; HIV; attitude; knowledge; nursing