DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/nmjn.v14i1.52508

Perceptions and Experiences of Nursing Students in Caring for People Living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa: A Qualitative Study

*Ruwadzano Dorcas Mabhiza orcid  -  Department of Nursing Science, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Varshika Bhana  -  Department of Nursing Science, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Heather Sedibe  -  Department of Nursing Science, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Open Access Copyright (c) 2024 by the Authors, Published by Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Citation Format:
Abstract

Background: Although previous studies focusing on nurses’ perceptions of caring for people living with HIV (PLHIV) have been conducted in numerous countries, little is known about first-year student nurses’ perceptions and experiences regarding their role in caring for PLHIV in South Africa. To ensure quality care for PLHIV, it is essential to explore first-year student nurses’ roles in caring for PLHIV.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of first-year nursing students on their role in caring for PLHIV in South Africa.

Methods: A qualitative exploratory descriptive design was employed for this study, utilizing a purposive sampling method to recruit 18 participants. These participants were first-year nursing students aged 18 or older, enrolled in a 4-year bachelor’s degree nursing program, and who had completed clinical placements in hospitals. Data collection involved two focus group discussions (FGDs), one comprising eight participants and the other ten participants. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the collected data.

Results: Four main themes were drawn from two FGDs, including (1) students’ unpreparedness in their role to care for PLHIV, (2) disclosure practices and student safety concerns, (3) personal backgrounds and attitudes towards PLHIV care, and (4) physical and psychological wellbeing of students while caring for PLHIV. Furthermore, 11 sub-themes were subsequently drawn from these main themes. Thematic sub-themes and individual focus group responses were relied on to reach data saturation despite the small number of FGD sessions.

Conclusion: First-year nursing students had negative and positive perceptions and experiences when caring for PLHIV. There is a need for these students to acquire adequate theoretical knowledge and practical skills to enhance clinical preparation for their role in clinical facilities. This could improve their perceptions regarding caring for PLHIV in the clinical setting and result in improved care.
Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: Perceptions; Student nurse; Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV); People Living with HIV( PLHIV); Role; Caring.
Funding: University of Pretoria

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Articles
Language : EN
Recent articles
The Association of Nurse Burnout with Patient Satisfaction from Nurse Perspective Mediated by Nurse Job Satisfaction and Caring Behavior Perceptions and Experiences of Nursing Students in Caring for People Living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa: A Qualitative Study Nursing Students’ Perceptions about the Effects of Climate Change on Health: A Descriptive Exploratory Study More recent articles
Most cited articles
Correlates of Physical Activity in Asian Adolescents: A Literature Review Nausea, Vomiting and Retching of Patients with Cervical Cancer undergoing Chemotherapy in Bali, Indonesia Motivation among Indonesian Nurses in Pursuing Continuing Professional Education and Its Relationship to Their Competencies Development of Foot Massage Program on Nausea and Vomiting for Cancer Patients: A Literature Review Eating Behavior of Autistic Children More cited articles
  1. Aggarwal, S., Lee, D.H., Minteer, W.B., Fenning, R.T., Raja, S.K., Bernstein, M. E., Raman, K. R., Denny, S. P., Patel, P. A., Lieber, M., Farfel, A. O., & Diamond, C. A. (2017). Another generation of stigma? Assessing healthcare student perceptions of HIV-positive patients in Mwanza, Tanzania. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 31(2), 87-95. https://doi.org/10.1089/apc.2016.0175
  2. Akansel, N., Aydin, N., Özdemir, A., & Töre, O. (2012). Effects of planned HIV/AIDS education on attitudes towards AIDS in beginning level nursing students. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 5(1), 56-65
  3. Armstrong, S. J., & Rispel, L. C. (2015). Social accountability and nursing education in South Africa. Global Health Action, 8(1), 27879
  4. Atav, A. S., Sendir, M., Darling, R., & Acaroglu, R. (2015). Turkish and American undergraduate students’ attitudes toward HIV/AIDS patients: A comparative study. Nursing Forum, 50(2), 116–124. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12059
  5. Avert, A. (2021). HIV and AIDS in South Africa. https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/sub-saharan-africa/south-africa
  6. Bøe, S. V., & Debesay, J. (2021). The learning environment of student nurses during clinical placement: A qualitative case study of a student-dense ward. SAGE Open Nursing, 7, 23779608211052357. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F23779608211052357
  7. Bonacaro, A., Stroumpouki, T., Stavropoulou, A., Triglia, C., Vizilio, E., Papageorgiou, D., & Rubbi, I. (2022). Nursing students’ attitudes on caring for people living with HIV/AIDS. A European multicentre study. Acta Bio Medica, 93(Suppl 2), e2022191. https://doi.org/10.23750%2Fabm.v93iS2.12999
  8. Botma, Y., Greeff, M., Mulaudzi, F.M., & Wright, S.C.D. (2018). Research in health sciences. Pearson South Africa
  9. Chang, S. O., Sohng, K. Y., Kim, K., Won, J., Chaung, S. K., & Choi, M. J. (2023). How nursing students learn infection control education through undergraduate nursing programs: A phenomenographic research study. BMC Nursing, 22, 297. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01465-9
  10. Creswell, J. W. (2014). A concise introduction to mixed methods research. SAGE publications
  11. Dong, X., Yang, J., Peng, L., Pang, M., Zhang, J., Zhang, Z., Rao, J., Wang, H. & Chen, X. (2018). HIV-related stigma and discrimination amongst healthcare providers in Guangzhou, China. BMC Public Health, 18, 738. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5654-8
  12. Dudina, V. I., King, E. J., & Tsareva, A. V. (2020). Concealing an HIV-positive status in medical settings: Discussions in Russian online forums. Qualitative Health Research, 30(9), 1379–1391. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732320914574
  13. Gazaway, S., Gibson, R. W., Schumacher, A., & Anderson, L. (2019). Impact of mentoring relationships on nursing professional socialization. Journal of Nursing Management, 27(6), 1182-1189. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12790
  14. Gularte-Rinaldo, J., Baumgardner, R., Tilton, T., & Brailoff, V. (2023). Mentorship respect study: A nurse mentorship program’s impact on transition to practice and decision to remain in nursing for newly graduated nurses. Nurse Leader, 21(2), 262-267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2022.07.003
  15. Hlongwa, P. (2016). Current ethical issues in HIV/AIDS research and HIV/AIDS care. Oral Diseases, 22, 61-65. https://doi.org/10.1111/odi.12391
  16. Katsinde, T. J., Katsinde, C.S., Mwale, M. (2011). Student nurses' perceptions of the HIV and AIDS problem: A case study of Bindura School of Nursing, Zimbabwe. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 13(1), 212-226
  17. Kupcewicz, E., Grochans, E., Kadučáková, H., Mikla, M., Bentkowska, A., Kupcewicz, A., Andruszkiewicz, A., & Jóźwik, M. (2021). Personalized healthcare: The importance of patients’ rights in clinical practice from the perspective of nursing students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia—A cross-sectional study. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 11(3), 191. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11030191
  18. Leyva-Moral, J.M., Terradas-Robledo, R., Feijoo-Cid, M., De Dios-Sánchez, R., Mestres-Camps, L., Lluva-Castano, A., & Comas-Serrano, M. (2017). Attitudes to HIV and AIDS among students and faculty in a school of nursing in Barcelona (Spain): A cross-sectional survey. Collegian, 24(6), 593-601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2016.10.006
  19. Marranzano, M., Ragusa, R., Platania, M., Faro, G., Coniglio, M. A. (2013). Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards patients with HIV/AIDS in staff nurses in one university hospital in Sicily. Epidemiology Biostatistics and Public Health, 10(1), e8731. https://doi.org/10.2427/8731
  20. Mikkonen, K., Tomietto, M., Tuomikoski, A. M., Miha Kaučič, B., Riklikiene, O., Vizcaya-Moreno, F., Pérez-Cañaveras, R. M., Filej, B., Baltinaite, G., Cicolini, G., & Kääriäinen, M. (2022). Mentors' competence in mentoring nursing students in clinical practice: Detecting profiles to enhance mentoring practices. Nursing Open, 9(1), 593–603. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1103
  21. Mills, E. J., Bakanda, C., Birungi, J., Chan, K., Ford, N., Cooper, C. L., Nachega, J. B., Dybul, M., & Hogg, R. S. (2011). Life expectancy of persons receiving combination antiretroviral therapy in low-income countries: A cohort analysis from Uganda. Annals of Internal Medicine, 155(4), 209-216. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-155-4-201108160-00358
  22. Ngcobo, S.J., & Mchunu, G.G. (2019). Bachelor of nursing students’ HIV and AIDS knowledge in KwaZulu-Natal province: An evaluation study. Curationis, 42(1), e1-e11. https://doi.org/10.4102/curationis.v42i1.1928
  23. Pervaz Iqbal, M., Manias, E., Mimmo, L., Mears, S., Jack, B., Hay, L., & Harrison, R. (2020). Clinicians' experience of providing care: A rapid review. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 952. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05812-3
  24. Philip, J., Chadee, D., & Yearwood, R. P. (2014). Health care students’ reactions towards HIV patients: Examining prejudice, emotions, attribution of blame and willingness to interact with HIV/AIDS patients. AIDS Care, 26(10), 1236-1241. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2014.896449
  25. Pickles, D., King, L., & de Lacey, S. (2017). Culturally construed beliefs and perceptions of nursing students and the stigma impacting on people living with AIDS: A qualitative study. Nurse Education Today, 49, 39-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.11.008
  26. Pickles, D., King, L., & Belan, I. (2009). Attitudes of nursing students towards caring for people with HIV/AIDS: Thematic literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(11), 2262–2273. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.05128.x
  27. Pickles, D., Lacey, S., & King, L. (2019). Conflict between nursing student’s personal beliefs and professional nursing values. Nursing Ethics, 26(4), 1087–1100. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733017738132
  28. Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2021). Nursing Research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer
  29. Polit, D. F., Beck, C. T., & Hungler, B. P. (2017). Essentials of nursing research: Appraising evidence for nursing practice (9th ed.). Wolters Kluwer
  30. Rana, S., & Cheung, K. (2019). Nursing students’ knowledge of HIV/AIDS-a literature review (Bachelor's thesis, JAMK University of Applied Sciences). https://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/303468
  31. Rozendo, C. A., Salas, A. S., & Cameron, B. (2017). A critical review of social and health inequalities in the nursing curriculum. Nurse Education Today, 50, 62-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.12.006
  32. Salvadori, M., & Hahn, G. V. (2019). Medical confidentiality in the care of patients with HIV/AIDS. Revista Bioética, 27, 153-163. https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-80422019271298
  33. Shah, S. M., Heylen, E., Srinivasan, K., Perumpil, S., & Ekstrand, M. L. (2014). Reducing HIV stigma among nursing students: A brief intervention. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 36(10), 1323-1337. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945914523685
  34. Shi, C., & Cleofas, J. V. (2023). Student nurses’ perceptions and experiences in caring for people living with HIV/AIDS: A qualitative study. BMC Medical Education, 23(1), 99. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04074-x
  35. Soler, O. M., Aguayo-González, M., Gutiérrez, S. S. R., Pera, M. J., & Leyva-Moral, J. M. (2021). Nursing students’ expectations of their first clinical placement: A qualitative study. Nurse Education Today, 98, 104736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104736
  36. South African National AIDS Council. (2015). Annual progress report. South African National AIDS Council. https://sanac.org.za/2015/06/11/annual-progress-report-201415/
  37. South African Nursing Council. (1984). Regulations relating to the scope of practice of persons who are registered or enrolled under the nursing act, 1978. Regulation R. 2598. South African Nursing Council. https://www.sanc.co.za/r-2598/
  38. Speziale, H. S., Streubert, H. J., & Carpenter, D. R. (2011). Qualitative research in nursing: Advancing the humanistic imperative. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
  39. Squires, A., White, J., & Sermeus, W. (2015). Quantity, quality and relevance of the nursing workforce to patient outcomes. ICN Policy Brief, ICN. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.3384.0720
  40. Vaismoradi, M., Tella, S., A. Logan, P., Khakurel, J., & Vizcaya-Moreno, F. (2020). Nurses’ adherence to patient safety principles: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(6), 2028. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17062028
  41. Wang, Q., Cao, X., & Du, T. (2022). First-year nursing students’ initial contact with the clinical learning environment: Impacts on their empathy levels and perceptions of professional identity. BMC Nursing, 21, 234. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-01016-8
  42. Zulu, B. M., du Plessis, E., & Koen, M. P. (2021). Experiences of nursing students regarding clinical placement and support in primary healthcare clinics: Strengthening resilience. Health SA Gesondheid: Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, 26, 1615. https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v26i0.1615

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update: 2024-11-21 16:29:07

No citation recorded.