Educating nursing students about quality care and safe practices in the AIDS epidemic

Nursing students, as future health care providers, need comprehensive instruction about AIDS--the many manifestations of both the disease itself and the pandemic. As health educators and practitioners, nurses play a major role in safeguarding the health care setting and the community by their efforts in preventing transmission of the AIDS virus. Nurses are and will continue to be responsible for administering the major portion of the direct health care that AIDS patients require and for teaching basic nursing skills to other care givers. According to a 1987 survey of 461 nursing programs conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, AIDS content is being incorporated into the curriculums of the majority of programs that responded. Students require an in-depth knowledge of AIDS to enable them to address effectively the needs of AIDS patients and their families. Because of the complex psychosocial, ethical, and legal issues, careful attention must be given to the development of students' skills in making clinical decisions that will promote effective nursing intervention when addressing problems in nursing care. Curriculums should also include assessment of the special needs of members of minority groups that are disproportionately affected by AIDS. Schools of nursing in colleges and universities can serve as key resources for developing curriculums, policies, and practice patterns that will assist the nursing community and the public in responding to the AIDS epidemic.