Effects of Planned HIV/AIDS Education on Attitudes towards AIDS in Beginning Level Nursing Students

• Main Authors: Okan Töre, Aysel Özdemir, Neriman Akansel, Nursel Aydin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Professor Despina Sapountzi-Krepia 2012-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Caring Sciences
• Subjects: Nursing students; attitude; education; AIDS
• Online Access: http://internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org/docs/Vol5_Issue1_08_Neriman.pdf

Purpose: The aim of this study is to describe nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes towards people with AIDS anddetermine effects of planned education on perceptions of students towards AIDS.Sample: The sample of this study consisted of first year undergraduate nursing students (n=88). Data were collected using aquestionnaire; related to socio demographic variables, sources of knowledge about HIV/ AIDS and the ways of AIDStransmission, willingness of students to provide care for patients with AIDS. Attitude Scale (AAS) was used to determineattitudes of students towards AIDS.Results: Close to half of the students believed that taking care of AIDS patients makes their job high risk occupation andthey also feel angry to homosexuals because they increase the risk of AIDS. Getting infected is one of the biggest fears ofnursing students while caring AIDS patients (67%). Although introduction of education did not change nursing students’intentions to give care for AIDS patients, statistical differences were found on students’ level of knowledge about AIDS aftereducation (p <0.001).Conclusion and implications Findings of this study have strong implications in methods used for AIDS education and needfor special and detailed education program on AIDS.