NUR 302 Nursing

(HIV infection) a concept related to classroom or clinical nursing education. Summarizes current literature on the topic.

Relates topic to nursing education. Summarizes key findings in your paper, including a critical analysis, and historical background.

States how the information presented can be used by the nurse educator

HIV in Nursing Education

An identifiable teaching and learning curve by the nurses is paramount to aiding nurses in teaching on ways and means of caring for patients with HIV and AIDs as well as in arming them with knowledge intended for educating the masses on prevention and the spread of the disease as well as evaluation of the disease and monitoring. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as research has been associated with (SIV) simian immunodeficiency virus transmitted from a particular type of chimpanzee in West Africa which was hunted by the indigenous West Africans and for food and mutated into HIV on contact with the hunter's blood. It has spread over decades to other parts of the world.

HIV virus was found in 1983 by French researchers at the Pasteur Institute in France as the primary course of AIDS(acquired immune deficiency syndrome).At about the same time in the United States of America Center for Disease control (CDC) listed groups of people at risk of contracting and spreading the disease (ANCA & ANA, 2007). Haitians, Homosexuals, hemophiliacs and heroin addicts. Haitians are thought to have carried the HIV virus from Africa to the Haiti Island. Which spread rapidly from the island heavily associated with sex tourism in the 70s.Homosexuals have an increased risk due to the fact that penetration is by both partners vis a vis heterosexual sex which only one partner penetrates during coitus (Kapiga, Hayes & Buvé, 2010). Hemophiliacs risk of contracting HIV is higher as their as they require blood regularly. Blood transfusions enable them to get their blood to normal clotting capabilities. Back then they were at even higher risk of contracting and eventually transmitting the disease due to lack of properly screened transfusion blood. Last heroin addicts, as well as users of needle injectable drugs that share the needles, do transmit as they did help from the start in spreading the disease (Cai et al., 2010).

Today HIV virus is commonly spread through contact with infected body fluids of a human to another human. It is the very same knowledge that nurses are and should be equipped with in order to be able to dispense treatment and educative information on prevention of the disease, re-infection of those patients already infected with the disease as well as how to care for those already infected and affected (Cai et al., 2010).

Nurses roles in the reduction of HIV spread and transmissions call for a change of strategy in regard especially to the victimization of people living with the virus as well as enlightening those people that are not infected but affected by the disease. This would be a relative or people who cohabit or leave with patients of HIV and AIDs. In the administration of care for the patients, nurses ought to educate and enlighten patients on the various means and ways they can take care of themselves to wade off opportunistic illnesses. In Africa where the prevalence rate of the virus is higher than in other parts of the globe victimization can lead and in some instances has to lead to new infections where someone suffering from the disease due to victimization has lead to infecting others. Behavioral change should be taught to both affected and infected (Tunnicliff et al., 2013).

During nursing care, nurses ought to be trained on the best and most effective mechanisms of educating masses as well as patients in regard to living with the HIV and AIDS as well as how people perceive the disease. For instance in Uganda –a country that at one time had the highest number of HIV cases the government introduced /implemented comprehensive programs for HIV and AIDS which included best birth practices, prevention of infection from mother to infants among others. A national awareness program was also implemented to educate the citizens of the country on HIV and AIDS (Areti, 2011).

Best educative nursing mechanisms in the fight against HIV infections are those that are not fear oriented. Attitude change towards those suffering from the disease and perception towards the disease, informative education in regard to prevention of the spread of the virus, change of lifestyle behavior and implementation of skills acquired by trained nurses are among the most effective in regard to curbing HIV infection. In many parts of the world, many nurses are involved in different risk groups based on age-sex orientation among others on safe sex practices and dangers associated with needle sharing. Nurses learn to educate patients on how best to manage their health and cope with different physical and emotional symptoms that are associated with HIV and AIDS (Willard, Nelson, Reyes & Linn, 2016).

Nursing education needs a critical analysis for educating populations including patients on the pros and cons of knowing individual HIV status. Knowing advantages and disadvantages a nurse can be able to convince an individual that having the virus is not a death sentence for instance a nurse can use the information to minimize anxiety over one's medical health, influence sexual behavior change of an infected individual, educate patients on reinfection methods of prevention, inform partners of status (Knebel et al., 2008).

Also, a nurse can be able to educate people based on knowledge as to why people would rather not know their HIV status, reasons for not wanting to be tested can include psychological trauma and victimization. A nurse can easily know how to deal with each and every individual for best counseling support and provision of best medication and support. It is knowledge equipped in nurses that can help people make informed decisions in regard to HIV infection. With nurses representing almost 90 percent of health care givers Nursing industry is an integral part of HIV infection prevention as since the emergence of the disease and before antiretroviral drugs were availed nurses gave care to the patients both at medical facilities and at the homes where patients resided (Peate et al., 2002).

 Today trained nurses have taken over the responsibility of educating and administration of antiretroviral medications in collaboration with other nurses as well as physicians. This administration of antiretroviral also includes administration of post-exposure prophylaxis PEP drugs that prevent infection once someone has been exposed to body fluids deemed to be infected within thirty-six hours to seventy-two hours of exposure.

References

Areti, S. (2011). Student nurses perceptions on caring for people with hiv. Health Science Journal.

Association of Nurses in AIDS Care., & American Nurses' Association. (2007). HIV/AIDS nursing: Scope and standards of practice. Silver Spring, Md: Nursesbooks.org.

Cai, Y., Shi, R., Shen, T., Pei, B., Jiang, X., Ye, X., ... & Shang, M. (2010). A study of HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitude and behaviors among female sex workers in Shanghai China. BMC Public Health, 10(1), 377.

Kapiga, S., Hayes, R., & Buvé, A. (2010). HIV prevention–where now? Background and introduction.

Knebel, E., Puttkammer, N., Demes, A., Devirois, R., & Prismy, M. (2008). Developing a competency-based curriculum in HIV for nursing schools in Haiti. Human Resources for Health, 6(1), 17.

Peate, I., Suominen, T., Välimäki, M., Lohrmann, C., & Muinonen, U. (2002). HIV/AIDS and its impact on student nurses. Nurse Education Today, 22(6), 492-501.

Tunnicliff, S. A., Piercy, H., Bowman, C. A., Hughes, C., & Goyder, E. C. (2013). The contribution of the HIV specialist nurse to HIV care: a scoping review. Journal of clinical nursing, 22(23-24), 3349.

Willard, S., Nelson, J., Reyes, D., & Linn, A. (2016). Advancing HIV Nursing Practice: The Doctor of Nursing Practice HIV Specialty at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 27(3), 234-239.