KEY COMPETENCIES ESSENTIAL FOR NURSES IN HIV/AIDS CARE.
Gitachu, Ivan (2017)
Gitachu, Ivan
Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu
2017
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201705127935
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201705127935
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this study was to research and gather the current practices in HIV care and skills nurses need to effectively provide care to people living with HIV. This study also aimed at showing how nurses caring for people living with HIV need to expand their scope beyond basic nursing skills and knowledge to be able to go an extra mile in providing the much needed supportive HIV care and thus promoting the quality of care through improving the nurses’ abilities. The goal of the research was to investigate the key competencies essential for nurses working with HIV/AIDS patients and enhance the expertise required in this care, thereby leading to a better patient-centered care.
The study was carried out as a literature review. The data collection process was done using a qualitative method. The majority of the source material was from scientific journals in electronic databases though books and other web source materials were also used. The databases used by the author are: CINAHL, OVID, SAGE Premier, Ebook Central and Science Direct. In addition to the above scientific databases, authentic internet sources such as: WHO, UNAIDS, HIVPOINT and THL were also used as part of the theoretical framework. The author of this study employed strict inclusive and exclusive criteria and the research findings were analyzed using content analysis method. Only fully accessible research articles that focused on the research topic published not more than ten years ago that were in English and Finnish were used in the research process. A total of 16 articles were used for the literature review. HIV is a complex disease with extensive psychosocial consequences and physical comorbidities and syndromes, thus requiring specialized competencies in nurses caring for people living with HIV. Deficiencies in competency contribute to stigmatizing and discriminatory practices by nurses towards people living with HIV thus causing negative consequences to people living with HIV and may hamper efforts to stem the HIV epidemic. Nurses are required to have competencies in four major areas related to HIV. These are: Etiology and medical knowledge of HIV; Ethical, legal, psychosocial and spiritual competence; Psychomotor skills related to HIV nursing care and competence in Professionalism.
The study was carried out as a literature review. The data collection process was done using a qualitative method. The majority of the source material was from scientific journals in electronic databases though books and other web source materials were also used. The databases used by the author are: CINAHL, OVID, SAGE Premier, Ebook Central and Science Direct. In addition to the above scientific databases, authentic internet sources such as: WHO, UNAIDS, HIVPOINT and THL were also used as part of the theoretical framework. The author of this study employed strict inclusive and exclusive criteria and the research findings were analyzed using content analysis method. Only fully accessible research articles that focused on the research topic published not more than ten years ago that were in English and Finnish were used in the research process. A total of 16 articles were used for the literature review. HIV is a complex disease with extensive psychosocial consequences and physical comorbidities and syndromes, thus requiring specialized competencies in nurses caring for people living with HIV. Deficiencies in competency contribute to stigmatizing and discriminatory practices by nurses towards people living with HIV thus causing negative consequences to people living with HIV and may hamper efforts to stem the HIV epidemic. Nurses are required to have competencies in four major areas related to HIV. These are: Etiology and medical knowledge of HIV; Ethical, legal, psychosocial and spiritual competence; Psychomotor skills related to HIV nursing care and competence in Professionalism.