Nurses’ willingness to care for patients infected with HIV or Hepatitis B / C in Vietnam

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the factors associated with nurses’ willingness to care for patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B or C virus (HBV/HCV) in Vietnam. METHODS: A cross-section of 400 Vietnamese nurses from two hospitals were selected using stratified random sampling, to whom a self-administered questionnaire was administered which included demographic items, previous experience with patients infected with HIV or HBV/HCV, and their attitudes toward these patients. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of needlestick or sharps injury whilst caring for a patient infected with HIV or HBV/HCV was 9 and 15.8%, respectively. The majority of participants expressed a willingness to care for patients infected with HIV (55.8%) or HBV/HCV (73.3%). Willingness to care for HIV-infected patients was positively associated with being 40–49 years of age and confidence in protecting themselves against infection. Regarding HBV/HCV infection, willingness to care was positively associated with individual confidence in protecting themselves against infection. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that Vietnamese nurses were somewhat willing to care for patients infected with HIV or HBV/HCV, and this was associated with individual confidence in protecting themselves against infection and with negative attitudes towards HIV and HBV/HCV. Establishing a positive safety culture and providing appropriate professional education to help reduce the stigma towards infected patients offers an effective way forwards to improve quality of care in Vietnam, as elsewhere.