222611 Attitudes, Beliefs and Knowledge About HIV/AIDS Among Nursing Professionals Working With Aging Populations:A Training Needs Assessment

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Sara Pullen, DPT, MPH, CHES , Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
BACKGROUND: Longer life expectancies for people living with HIV/AIDS have created a sub- population of HIV-positive older adults, making HIV/AIDS among the aging population a public health priority. The aim of this study was to assess the training needs of nursing professionals working with older adults in terms of HIV-related knowledge and stigma.

METHODS: A 13-item survey was given to 57 nurses and nursing technicians at a geriatric hospital in Atlanta, GA during the fall of 2009. The survey assessed fear of occupational exposure to HIV and knowledge and stigma about people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Quantitative data were collected and analyzed using SPSS.

RESULTS: Results of the analysis showed that the majority of respondents do not fear occupational exposure to HIV. The majority of respondents had accurate knowledge relating to HIV transmission methods, however the majority of respondents were unable to correctly identify which fluids transmit HIV: more than half of all respondents indicated that HIV is transmitted through saliva and one third of respondents believed that it is transmitted through urine. Most respondents had low levels of stigma related to people living with HIV/AIDS, however nearly a quarter of all respondents indicated that people do deserve to have HIV.

CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study underlie the need for HIV- related education and training among nursing professionals working with older adults. Survey results show that there is inconsistent knowledge about HIV among the nurses and nurse technicians surveyed and that some do hold stigma against PLWHA.

Learning Areas:
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related nursing

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the public health concern of older adults living with HIV/AIDS 2. Discuss the gap in HIV/AIDS-related knowledge amongst health care providers working with older adults 3. Identify learning needs for health care providers caring for older adults living with HIV/AIDS

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Aging

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I was the principal investigator on this study which focuses on an emerging public health problem - HIV among older adults. I have several years of clinical and public health experience working with both geriatrics and HIV/AIDS.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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