Psychiatric nurses' needs for AIDS information

The purpose of this study was to identify 1) the needs of psychiatric nurses for information on AIDS; 2) the groups to whom they provide AIDS education, counseling, and referrals; and 3) their preferred resources for AIDS information. A national survey of 233 psychiatric nurses was conducted. The most important areas of need for AIDS information were psychosocial aspects of the care of AIDS patients, families, and healthcare workers; the assessment of AIDS symptoms; and management of psychiatric complications. The nurses provided education and counseling to a wide variety of transmission groups, community groups, and healthcare workers. They preferred continuing education conferences, journals, and popular print and visual media as resources for AIDS information.