An investigation on the association between students’ knowledge and their tendency to take care of HIV patients among the students in nursing and midwifery school

BACKGROUND: Since nursing and midwifery students avoid taking care of the diseased patients and taking care of the patients with AIDS can be influenced by their level of knowledge, the present study aimed to define the association between students’ knowledge and their tendency to take care of HIV patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a descriptive analytical study conducted on 210 students of Nursing and Midwifery School, who were selected through random stratified and convenient sampling in 2012. Inclusion criteria were having Iranian nationality, being a Muslim, passing two credits of nursing internship, and not being an AIDS patient. The exclusion criterion was any one of the parents or relatives suffering from AIDS. The data were collected by questionnaires of personal and familial characteristics, the level of awareness, and tendency to take care of AIDS patients. Questionnaires of AIDS awareness scale and AIDS care tendency scale are valid and reliable. The data were analyzed by charts, Pearson statistical test, t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Kruskal-Wallis, and linear regression through SPSS version 16. RESULTS: The findings showed that 79.5% of the students had average awareness about AIDS and 61.4% had no tendency to take care of AIDS patients. Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there was a linear association between the score of awareness and tendency to take care of AIDS patients. The results of linear regression also showed that there was a significant association between the score of the tendency to take care of the patients and sex, education level, awareness, and educational course. CONCLUSIONS: Since students’ awareness level was not so high, special attention should be paid in this regard through more organized and precise programs. A separate university credit concerning the diseases and education through mass media should be also considered.