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Predicting AIDS patient care intentions among nursing students
L S Jemmott1, J B Jemmott, M Cruz-Collins
1Rutgers University, College of Nursing, Newark, NJ.
Nursing Research
|May 1, 1992
Summary
Nursing students with less AIDS knowledge and higher perceived occupational risk showed greater avoidance intentions. Negative attitudes toward intravenous drug users also predicted avoidance, highlighting curriculum needs for better HIV care preparedness.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Healthcare professionals require adequate knowledge and positive attitudes to care for patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
- Nursing students' intentions to care for AIDS patients can be influenced by their knowledge, perceived risks, and attitudes towards patient populations.
- Understanding these predictors is crucial for developing effective nursing curricula and improving patient care outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify predictors of intentions to avoid caring for AIDS patients among nursing students.
- To examine the influence of AIDS knowledge, perceived occupational risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, and attitudes toward intravenous drug users on these intentions.
- To assess the impact of nursing curriculum content on students' intentions and perceptions.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 153 sophomore and senior nursing students.
- Multiple regression analysis to identify predictors of avoidance intentions.
- Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to evaluate the effect of curriculum content based on year in school.
Main Results:
- Lower AIDS knowledge and higher perceived occupational risk of HIV infection were associated with stronger intentions to avoid caring for AIDS patients.
- Negative attitudes toward intravenous drug users independently predicted stronger avoidance intentions, even after controlling for knowledge and perceived risk.
- Seniors demonstrated lower avoidance intentions, lower perceived occupational risk, and greater AIDS knowledge compared to sophomores, indicating a positive effect of curriculum exposure.
Conclusions:
- Nursing students' intentions to care for AIDS patients are influenced by a combination of knowledge deficits, perceived risks, and stigmatizing attitudes.
- Integrating comprehensive AIDS education into the nursing curriculum, particularly before the junior year, may mitigate avoidance intentions and improve preparedness.
- Addressing negative attitudes towards specific patient groups is essential for fostering inclusive and effective HIV patient care in future nurses.