Assessment of Ethical Beliefs Towards Hiv/Aids Patients Among Nursing Students in Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
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Date
2011-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Ethical issues associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome are challenging and complex because of beliefs about disease,
stigma surrounding the epidemic, lack of knowledge and fear of human immunodeficiency
virus/Acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome.
Pillars of ethical principles; autonomy,
beneficence, non maleficence and justice guide the delivery of health care. No nursing students in
the United States and 11.5 % of South Africa held beliefs that were fully supportive of the ethical
standards
of
practice
in
the
context
of
human
immunodeficiency
virus/Acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome.
Objective: To assess the ethical beliefs of nursing students towards HIV/ AIDS patients in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from October 2010 to April 2011.
Methods and materials: An institution based cross sectional study design was used from
October 2010 to April 2011. Samples of 210 of nursing students were recruited by proportionate
systematic random sampling technique. Questions were pretested and collected by self
administration method. The collected data was controlled and cleaned properly for consistency and
entered into Epi info version 3.5.1 software and transferred to SPSS version 15.0 for analysis.
Results were presented using frequency table and appropriate graphs. Finally, binary and
multinomial logistic regression was used to predict the outcome variables and control the
confounding factors.
Results: 11.9% of respondents were fully supportive, 22.9% were partially supportive and 65.2%
were non supportive of the ethical standards of nursing practice towards human
immunodeficiency virus/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patient. There was significant
association between history of care at non-clinical setting (Crude odds ratio=2.07) and having
family died of AIDS, and support on ethical standards.
Conclusions: A staggering proportion of nursing students in Addis Ababa University had beliefs
about human immunodeficiency virus/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patient‘s care that
do not reflect the inherent ethical standards of nursing practice. History of giving care for
HIV/AIDS at non-clinical setting, respondents from rural area, having history family died of
HIV/AIDS, and who didn‘t belief admission of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome patients to
separate room affects the support of ethical standards
Recommendation: Mentoring experiences about complex ethical issues related to HIV/AIDS
patient care should be given by clinical instructors; so that they can be committed to the ethical
standard beliefs related to HIV/AIDS patient care.
Key words: ethical beliefs, HIV/AIDS, nursing students
Description
Keywords
Ethical beliefs, HIV/AIDS, Nursing Students