Mapping HIV Nursing Core Competencies in Entry-Level Education: A Pilot Project

Many nursing specialty groups in Canada have developed their own entry-to-practice frameworks to inform nursing curricula. This article focuses on the framework of HIV/AIDS core competencies developed by the Canadian Association of Nurses in HIV/AIDS Care.

The goal of this pilot project was to map the courses offered in one entry-level program to assess the applicability of the framework as a tool to inform curriculum development.

This project highlighted competencies that were well covered in the current courses offered in the program, as well as existing gaps. To address these gaps, five areas of improvement were identified.

The gaps and areas of improvement identified in this project are similar those identified in the nursing literature. As such, they reinforce the importance of incorporating education and training in entry-level programs with actual clinical experiences with and exposure to people living with HIV.