Maltese nurses' knowledge about and attitudes towards HIV infection and AIDS

Abstract

The aims of this study were (1) to measure Maltese nurses' knowledge about, and attitudes towards, HIV infection and AIDS, (2) to discover whether there was any relationship between the nurses' attitudes and their knowledge and (3) to find out whether attitudes nurses held towards these patients differed in any way from those held for other patients. Two tools were used for this study. One was a questionnaire designed to measure knowledge and attitudes. The other consisted of a set of patient profiles designed to compare nurses' attitudes towards patients suffering from AIDS with those held towards patients with Malignant Lymphoma and Hernia. Randomly selected nurses voluntarily took part in the study, 56 completed the questionnaire, while 45 others each completed one patient profile selected at random. The results indicated that nurses had a very limited range of knowledge about HIV infection and AIDS, and that their attitudes were often negative. Nurses also showed considerably more prejudice against the patient suffering from AIDS than they showed against those with malignant lymphoma or hernia. There did not seem to be any link between knowledge and attitudes. Since the overall results of this study were not very positive, suggestions for an action plan were made which, if taken up in good time while the AIDS epidemic is stil 1 preparation in to its deal infancy, with this may enhance nurses' particular group of clients and ultimately lead to improved levels of nursing care.