Knowledge and attitudes about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in nursing and nonnursing groups

A study was undertaken to determine the difference in knowledge and attitudes about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in nursing and nonnursing groups, and to determine the effect that knowledge acquisition would have on attitudes about AIDS. The total study population consisted of 60 registered nurses, 50 baccalaureate nursing students, 42 liberal arts college students, and 30 nonnurse adults. An AIDS knowledge and attitude assess test was developed and used in the study. Univariate descriptive methodology, descriptive correlational analysis, and a pretest-posttest design were used. Phase I showed that professional nurses with graduate degrees have the highest knowledge base and the most positive attitudes about AIDS; and that nursing students' attitudes are more similar to the attitudes of nonnursing students than of professional nurses. Phase II showed that people's attitudes about AIDS could be changed by increasing their knowledge levels, and nursing students showed more increase in knowledge and more significant changes in attitudes following education than liberal arts college students.