A survey of nurses attitudes to AIDS related issues

A small survey was undertaken to examine nurses attitudes to a wide range of matters relating to the management of patients and persons with AIDS, and the prevention of HIV infection. Strong support is shown for current AIDS related public health measures, particularly in the area of health education. Unnecessary measures like mandatory screening have scant support, and there is even less support for more extreme measures. Most nurses believe AIDS patients should be treated no differently than other disease sufferers. And while there is an awareness and concern about occupational transmission, most nurses approach or would approach caring for AIDS patients no differently than other patients. While, the study has some limitations, it nonetheless provides an interesting outline of nurses attitudes to a range of important issues.