Nursing Students' Knowledge and Anxiety About AIDS: An Experiential Workshop

The impact of high fidelity human simulation on self-efficacy of communication skills

Communication is a critical component of nursing education as well as a necessity in maintaining patient safety. Psychiatric nursing is a specialty that emphasizes utilization of communication skills to develop therapeutic relationships. Nursing students are frequently concerned and anxious about entering the mental health setting for their first clinical placement. High fidelity human simulation (HFHS) is one method that can be used to allow students to practice and become proficient with communication skills. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two educational delivery methods, traditional lecture and HFHS, on senior level nursing student's self-efficacy with respect to communicating with patients experiencing mental illness. The results of this study support the use of HFHS to assist in enhancing undergraduate students' self-efficacy in communicating with patients who are experiencing mental illness.

Communication and human patient simulation in psychiatric nursing

Communication is an integral component of nursing education and has been shown to improve health outcomes, patient compliance, and patient satisfaction. Psychiatric nursing emphasizes knowledge and utilization of communication skills. Nursing students often express anxiety and lack of confidence regarding communicating with patients diagnosed with psychiatric illnesses. Human patient simulation is one method that may be used for students to practice and become proficient with communication skills in a simulated environment. The authors of this article provide an overview of communication and psychiatric nursing as well as review of the current research related to the use of human patient simulation in nursing education.

Fear and learning in mental health settings

Health-care students are frequently concerned and anxious about entering the mental health setting for their clinical placement. There are many situations in mental health clinical settings in which the student will witness or become involved in incidents that may challenge existing values, attitudes, ethics and provoke strong emotions in the student. This paper examines clinical critical incidents that have been identified and reflected on by a cohort of second-year student nurses while undertaking their mental health clinical practicum. Data were gathered from 260 critical incident reports and was sorted into three broad categories: (i) student description of incident; (ii) immediate emotional response of the student to the incident; and (iii) student thoughts and feelings' about the incident after the opportunity for structured reflection. The findings demonstrate a wide range of positive, but predominantly, negative experiences. Witnessing psychotic behaviour and incidents involving both actual and threatened violence and verbal abuse dominated the critical incidents with 52% describing one or both of these issues. To illustrate the range of student-identified critical incidents, verbatim examples of student work are included.

University students' knowledge of AIDS

In this paper, a cross-sectional exploratory design is utilized for the purpose of assessing the knowledge level of HIV/AIDS infection among a convenient sample of university students. The sample consisted of 1013 students at the Bachelor's level across the university faculties (Scientific, Medical and Humanities). Chi-square test of significance was utilized to examine crucial differences amongst students regarding their self-assessed, as well as, general knowledge of HIV/AIDS. The results indicated the presence of a "knowledge-deficit" problem among the students in terms of what can or cannot transmit HIV/AIDS, taking into consideration that 54% of the students stated that they "knew very little about AIDS" and 14% said that they "never heard about AIDS". Moreover, the results revealed the presence of certain misconceptions (myths) with regard to students' general knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Significant differences in the students' level of knowledge appear in relation with students' age, sex, academic level of university education and the faculty they attend. The study explains these results and comes out with appropriate recommendations, the most important of which is the need for introducing a tailored-cut course on HIV/AIDS to be offered to students as part of their study plans/curricula.

Orthodox Christian beliefs and homophobia in baccalaureate nursing students

Religion is an important factor in attitudes formed about groups, specifically homosexuals. Nursing education does little to inhibit homophobia in students. Sophomore (n = 87) and senior (n = 87) nursing students completed a demographic questionnaire, the Index of Homophobia (IHP), the Christian Orthodoxy Scale, and the Intrinsic Religious Motivation Scale. Half the students had IHP scores indicative of high-grade nonhomophobia. IHP scores and frequency of church attendance were significantly correlated, as were Christian orthodoxy and homophobia scores. Intrinsic religious motivation and homophobia were inversely related. Implications include the need to provide opportunities for students to discuss religion and attitudes toward homosexuals.

Satisfaction with nursing care: a comparison of patients with HIV/AIDS, non-HIV/AIDS infectious diseases, and medical diagnoses

The purpose of this study was to describe patients' perceptions of nursing care and compare those perceptions based on patients' diagnoses (HIV/AIDS, non-HIV/AIDS infectious diseases, and medical diagnoses). One hundred forty-two patients on five units in a major medical center were surveyed using the Patient Satisfaction Instrument. In addition, 126 staff nurses completed the AIDS Vulnerability Survey. Results of data analysis indicated a statistically significant difference in patient satisfaction with nursing care among patients in the medical group compared to patients in the HIV/AIDS group, with the medical group being more satisfied with their nursing care. Further, there was a statistically significant difference across units between nurses' knowledge, attitude, and fear. In spite of their knowledge base related to HIV/AIDS, nurses felt vulnerable when providing care to this population, thus perpetuating fear and negative attitudes. Additional research into the dynamics of these relationships is imperative as we continue to see increases in the number of patients with HIV/AIDS.