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Managing occupational HIV exposures: a Canadian study

L I Reutter1, H C Northcott

  • 1Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

International Journal of Nursing Studies
|October 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Nurses exposed to HIV-infected fluids developed coping strategies to manage risk, reduce vulnerability, control information sharing, and find meaning in their experiences. These findings inform nursing practice for healthcare professionals caring for persons with AIDS.

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Area of Science:

  • Nursing
  • Infectious Disease
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Nurses face occupational risks, including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) exposure, when caring for patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
  • Understanding nurses' coping mechanisms after potential HIV exposure is crucial for their well-being and patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore and describe the coping strategies employed by nurses following actual or perceived exposure to HIV-infected blood or body fluids.
  • To identify categories of coping efforts utilized by nurses in a Western Canadian hospital setting.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative study utilizing in-depth interviews with 13 nurses caring for persons with AIDS (PWAs).
  • Grounded theory methodology applied to analyze data from seven nurses who experienced potential HIV exposure.

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  • Focus on nurses' subjective experiences and coping processes.

    • Main Results:

    • Nurses' coping efforts were categorized into four themes: minimizing exposure effects, reducing vulnerability, selective disclosure, and assigning meaning.
    • Minimizing effects included physical interventions like 'bleeding' injuries.
    • Reducing vulnerability involved risk assessment, fear avoidance, and HIV testing decisions.

    Conclusions:

    • Nurses employ multifaceted coping strategies to manage the psychological and physical impact of potential HIV exposure.
    • Selective disclosure and seeking social support influenced nurses' coping processes.
    • Assigning meaning to the exposure event was a key component of their adaptation, with implications for nursing practice and support systems.