Attitudes of Nursing and Auxiliary Hospital Staff Toward HIV Infection and AIDS in Spain

The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of health personnel staff concerning HIV and AIDS. Participants included nurses (n = 315) and nurses' aides (auxiliary staff) (n = 115) working from May to June 2002 in a Spanish hospital. A self-administered validated questionnaire about attitudes towards HIV and AIDS was used. The response was 74.9% (N = 430). The mean for the attitudes questionnaire was 79.7 (SD = 10.9), with a median of 80. The nurses had more positive attitudes than the auxiliary workers (80.9 vs. 76.5; t = 3.712; p<.001). Twenty percent (n = 63) of the nurses and 37.4% (n = 43) of the auxiliary workers (p<.001) reported a negative attitude. After a logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, sex, and occupations, the authors found that age and occupation were the variables with an independent effect on attitudes toward HIV.

A produção científica sobre os acidentes de trabalho com material perfurocortante entre trabalhadores de enfermagem

A investigação ora apresentada teve por objetivos identificar as abordagens metodológicas das pesquisas publicadas em periódicos indexados nas bases de dados Lilacs e Medline, nos últimos 16 anos, referentes, ao estudo dos acidentes de trabalho com material perfurocortante e a identificação dos fatores predisponentes à ocorrência de tais acidentes entre trabalhadores da enfermagem. Foram analisados 55 artigos, sendo 39 internacionais, e 16 nacionais. As abordagens metodológicas mais utilizadas foram descritiva de campo, pesquisa-ação e bibliográfica. Dentre os fatores predisponentes a ocorrência dos acidentes em vários países, destaca-se a prática inadequada de re-encape de agulhas e o inadequado descarte do material.

Nurses failure to appreciate the risks of infection due to needle stick accidents: a hospital based survey

One of the most important occupational risks to healthcare workers is exposure is to blood-borne viruses. This study examined nurses' perceptions of risk of contracting infection following single or multiple exposure to blood or body fluids. Two hundred and ninety nurses were surveyed using a questionnaire. One hundred and thirty-three responded; 85 worked in higher risk areas (ITU, Haematology, Haemodialysis and Neonatal Surgical Units) (Group A) and 48 worked in lower risk areas (medical wards, an orthopaedic and an ENT ward) (Group B). Forty-nine percent of subjects from group A and 60% of subjects from Group B believed that a needle stick injury with a needle contaminated with infected blood was an unlikely source of infection. Fifteen percent from group A and 20% from group B thought that infection with a blood-borne virus following a needle stick injury contaminated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected blood was very unlikely. Twelve percent from group A and 10% from Group B did not know whether resheathing needles between use can provide protection against HIV. Sixty-seven percent from group A and 71% from group B disagreed with the statement that nurses are at higher risk of exposure to HIV/HBV than the other healthcare workers. Thirteen percent from group A and 5% from group B agreed with the statement, whereas 8% from group A and 5% from group B thought that nurses are at less risk. Only 22% from group A and 23% from group B would take more precautions if they knew that the patient had HIV/HBV infection, whilst 11% and 8% respectively admitted that they would take special precautions only when the patient has clinical symptoms of HIV/HBV infection. The findings suggest that these nurses would benefit from further education regarding infection from blood-borne viruses.

[The nursing team and occupational accidents with potentially contaminated material in the era of HIV]

This investigation was carried out in order to: identify the occurrence of professional accidents with perforate cutting potentially contaminated material among nurses and nursing auxiliaries that work in a general teaching hospital in the interior of the state of São Paulo. The other objectives were: to associate the occurrence of accident with the professional category and period of work; to identify the type of perforate cutting material most involved in accidents, to identify the attitudes taken by the person accidented. The data were collected on individual interview based on a structured formulary in which the following information was registered: the probable reason of accident, how long the professional has been working on such function, the material involved in the accident, the actions taken after the accident. It was evidenced that the Standard Precautions or the Universal Precautions as they used used to be nominated are not being used as they should be. Such attitude brings risks to the nursing team. We think that this team needs specific orientations through continuing education concerning the theme.

[Between the fear of HIV contamination and the symbolic representations of AIDS: the specter of contemporary despair]

Lack of knowledge and misinformations on HIV/AIDS are predictors of emotional responses as fear of contagion, homophobia, avoidance and excessive precautions. Fear of contagion is an affective stress response to the neurocognitive activity that leads to a perceived threat of AIDS in connection with the symbolic meanings os illness. Focused interviews were conducted with an opportunistic sample of 31 young people to know the affective responses and behaviors after blood screening for HIV antibody testing. The findings confirm the relationship of symbolic representation of illness as mystery, death, punishment and sexuality to fear of contagion and mitic conception of AIDS.