Coping of staff in AIDS nursing facilities

The primary objective of this study was to examine coping among nursing staff who work in nursing facilities for AIDS patients. The study explored the relationships between nurses' personal coping resources, availability and use of worksite support services, and nurses' attitudes toward dying AIDS patients. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 437 nursing staff in seven AIDS residential health-care facilities in New York City. A total of 197 completed questionnaires were returned (48% response rate). Measures of demographics, attitudes toward caring for dying patients, personal coping resources, and worksite support were included. There was a significant difference between different levels of nursing staff in attitudes toward caring for dying patients, with certified nursing assistants reporting more negative attitudes than licensed practical nurses and registered nurses. Staff with advanced degrees reported more personal coping resources and more positive attitudes toward caring for dying patients than those with lower education. Participants who reported more social, physical, and spiritual coping resources also reported more positive attitudes toward caring for dying patients. Worksite support services should be offered to all workers in AIDS nursing facilities, and services should be tailored to meet the needs of lower level nursing staff and those with less education who report fewer coping resources and less positive attitudes toward patients.