Physical and psychosocial nursing care for patients with HIV infection

As suggested earlier we have chosen in this article to discuss only a small group of key physical and psychosocial concerns and needs associated with HIV and AIDS. These were the issues most frequently discussed by a study group of people living with HIV. We recognize, however, that holistic nursing intervention considers the totality of the individual living with HIV: body, mind, and spirit. It is to that end that the discussed nursing diagnoses and interventions are directed. Ultimately, the successful identification of and intervention in HIV related problems rests in the unique relationship between nurse and patient sharing as collaborators in the healing experience. The body of contemporary nursing and behavioral science research in the area of HIV/AIDS continues to grow. Presently the National Center for Nursing Research is supporting studies focusing on such areas as the use of designated versus general care settings for HIV patient care, quality of nursing care in HIV/AIDS, the effects of nurse-managed home care for AIDS patients, stress and coping in caregivers of AIDS children, the testing of interventions for black women with AIDS, and prevention studies (National Center for Nursing Research, personal communication, 1992). Nevertheless, as the HIV pandemic continues to grow and expand its demographic parameters, more research, particularly with such populations as women and children, is urgently needed. Studies exploring prevention issues and symptom management also are most important. Some suggestions for future study include examination of cultural variables associated with coping with HIV and AIDS; longitudinal research on surviving HIV over time; intervention studies to test specific nursing therapeutics in various settings such as hospital, home, and clinic; and finally, research describing the impact of HIV and AIDS on family functioning and adaptation. It is only through continued study of the impact of HIV, on both the individual living with HIV, and his or her significant others, that we will expand nursing knowledge and strengthen nursing care for those impacted with this fearsome and life-threatening condition.