THE ATTITUDE OF STUDENT NURSES IN HIV/AIDS CARE

ABSTRACT Efficient patient care in ~e wards of hospitals is a key component of nursing generally and in particular the caring for patients with HN/AIDS infections. It was on the basis of this that this study was done to assess the attitude of student nurses of the Presbyterian Nurses' Training College, Agogo towards PLWHAS. The study was on clinical situation and the study population was 217 and a sample size of 100 respondents was selected from the second and third year ' students. It was a descriptive research which took the form of action research with an intervention. A questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection . and it was pilot-tested at the Holy Family Nurses' Training College, Nkawkaw. Data collected at both the pre-intervention and post-intervention sessions were analysed, presented and discussed together. ,The results of the pre-intervention data collection showed that student nurses had negative attitude towards caring for PLWHAs. However, after they have been exposed to certain core issues during the intervention, their attitudes changed for the better. Student nurses as part ofthe intervention were exposed to HIV/AIDS patients at the wards with preceptors (ward in-charges) supervising them, eventually they were able to cope with the situations as they came. Owing to the finding that emerged, several suggestions were made. Among the suggestions made was that preceptors at the Agogo Presbyterian hospital should intensify their supervision during students' clinical experience to enhance their -. practical skills as well as develop positive attitude towards patients and that the hospital authorities should encourage training programmes on HIV/AIDS for nurses and other health workers including student nurses.