Background: Two decades after the emergence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), the infection remains enigmatic and shameful. In Sweden, many HIV-infected persons still encounter attitudes of avoidance.
Aims: The aims were to investigate differences between attitudes of nurses, assistant nurses, nursing students and assistant nursing students towards HIV-infected and homosexual HIV-infected patients; to measure their fear of contracting HIV; and to investigate whether nurses, assistant nurses, nursing students and assistant nursing students wanted to refrain from caring for HIV-infected patients.
Ethical issues: The participants were informed of the study orally and in writing. Completing and returning the anonymous questionnaires indicated the participants' tacit consent.
Research method: The study had a descriptive, comparative quantitative design. The AIDS Attitude Scale was used, along with a questionnaire specially designed for the study. The participants were nurses and assistant nurses from one infectious disease clinic in central Sweden [response rate was 67% (n = 57)]. Students enrolled in a university nursing programme and students of upper secondary assistant nurses' training [response rate was 62% (n = 165)] were also included.
Findings: In general, both the nursing staff and the nursing students expressed empathic attitudes towards HIV-infected and homosexual HIV-infected patients, as well as a low degree of fear of HIV contagion. The findings also showed, in the professional groups, that 36% would refrain from caring for HIV-infected patients if that possibility existed. The corresponding figure for the student groups was 26%.
Limitations: The chosen sample was small and not randomly selected therefore precludes a generalization in a wider context. Furthermore, the questionnaire was untested for reliability and validity, and may have influenced the findings with respect to the wish to refrain from nursing HIV-infected patients.
Conclusion: Suggested guidelines for nursing, mentor-ship by AIDS-dedicated nurses, and educational interventions, are given in 'Implications for nursing and nursing education'.