Attitudes of nurses caring for HIV/AIDS patients

Background. HIV/AIDS remains in epidemic proportions worldwide. The incidence of HIV/AIDS among infants, children, adolescents, and women has risen rapidly, and nurses cannot avoid HIV/AIDS patients. Because HIV/AIDS is associated with certain risk groups that have historically been subjects of discrimination, it has a stigma which contributes to the attitudes developed by nurses. Methods. To examine the attitudes of nurses in a southern community hospital, an AIDS Attitude Scale (AAS) survey was administered to all registered nurses (RNs) in staff positions. The AAS, a six-point Likert scale, examines avoidance and empathy attitudes. The survey was voluntary and anonymous. Results. Sixty-eight percent (n = 175) of RNs responded to the survey. The overall mean score for avoidance was 2.37 and for empathy was 5.19. Conclusions. The general score of 2.82 indicated an overall empathetic attitude toward HIV/AIDS patients.