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AIDS Care: Psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of

AIDS/HIV
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Knowledge and attitudes of nursing students toward

patients living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV): A Turkish
perspective
a b
H. A. Bektaş & Ö. Kulakaç PhD RN
a
Antalya School of Health, Department of Medical Nursing, Akdeniz University, Antalya
b
Antalya School of Health, Department of Women Health Nursing, Akdeniz University,
Antalya, Turkey
Published online: 21 Aug 2007.

To cite this article: H. A. Bektaş & Ö. Kulakaç PhD RN (2007): Knowledge and attitudes of nursing students toward patients
living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV): A Turkish perspective, AIDS Care: Psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV, 19:7,
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 AIDS Care, August 2007; 19(7): 888 894

Knowledge and attitudes of nursing students toward patients living with

HIV/AIDS (PLHIV): A Turkish perspective

H. A. BEKTAŞ1 & Ö. KULAKAÇ2

1
Antalya School of Health, Department of Medical Nursing, Akdeniz University, Antalya and
2
Antalya School of Health, Department of Women Health Nursing, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey

Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS of nursing students in Turkey. HIV/
AIDS has become one of the most serious health problems in the world. It is important to understand nursing students’
Downloaded by [University of Limerick] at 06:56 19 May 2013

knowledge and attitudes towards people living with HIV (PLHIV) because the educational preparation of nurses has been
known to affect the attitudes of the nurse and the effectiveness of the care provided to PLHIV. The study was conducted
with 227 nursing students from the School of Health in Antalya, Turkey during the calendar year 2005/2006. Qualitative
and quantitative methods were both used to collect data for the study. Analysis of variance, t -test, Mann-Whitney U-test,
Kruskal-Wallis and inductive methods were used in data analysis. The majority of nursing students in this study had a
moderate level of HIV/AIDS knowledge. Students correctly answered 64.4% of HIV/AIDS-related questions in the
questionnaire (Mean 28.99; SD 7.03 out of 45 points). Scores increased parallel with student grade (F
26.925; p
0.000)
and age (X2 (KW)
35.117; p
0.000). Fear of being infected and feelings of pity and empathy were the feelings most
commonly indicated by the students. Students who had previous experience in caring for an AIDS patient and had known
someone with HIV/AIDS were willing to care for PLHIV. Results underline the need to strengthen education on all aspects
of HIV/AIDS. To improve nursing students willingness to care for PLHIV, particular emphasis should be placed on the
training of nursing students as skilled nursing staff with humane attitudes towards PLHIV.

Introduction negative PLHIV-related attitudes, such as a low

AIDS has become one of the most serious health
problems in the world. Turkey’s HIV data set
recorded 2254 reports of HIV-infected individuals
from the beginning of the first AIDS reporting in
1985 to the end of 2005 (Ungan & Yaman, 2003).
Nearly 68.6% of identified patients are men. In a
considerable number of identified patients’ cases
(12.1%), the method of contracting HIV is un-
known. As indicated in Ungan and Yaman’s study
(2003) according to the information of the Ministry
of Health, AIDS is considered to be in its beginning
phase. However, it is a matter of concern that
numbers have doubled annually over the past five
years and that monitoring and reporting are either
inconsistent or nonexistent in many parts of Turkey
(Tümer, 2006; Ungan & Yaman, 2003).
In general, nursing students, as a subgroup of
healthcare providers exposed to an occupational risk
of HIV infection due to direct contact with blood
and bodily fluids during clinical practice attitudes,
have been reported to tend to have negative attitudes
towards PLHIV (Dubert et al., 1994; Robinson,
1998). There are many factors associated with
knowledge level, fear of the possibility of becoming
infected and death (Fusilier & Simpson, 1995). The
educational preparation of nurses has been known to
affect the attitudes of the nurse and the effectiveness
of the care provided to PLHIV.
Although the level of education and the nature of
training programs for nurses have gone through
substantial changes over the years in Turkey, HIV/
AIDS and PLHIV is still only discussed for two or
three hours throughout the whole education course
in the context of medical nursing, epidemiology and/
or public health nursing. Namal (2003) indicated
that the subject of AIDS is not mentioned enough in
medical and nursing schools and people with AIDS
are simply identified as being homosexual.
Up to now, there has been no research into
available data relating to PLHIV on nursing students
in Turkey maybe because AIDS is not considered to
be a serious health problem for Turkey by the nurses.
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify
the basic knowledge and attitudes of nursing stu-
dents regarding some variables related to HIV/AIDS
and PLHIV. It is believed that the findings of this

Correspondence: Özen Kulakaç, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, Akdeniz Universitesi Antalya Saglik Yuksekokulu, Dumlupinar Bulvari
07058 Kampus, Antalya, Türkiye. Tel: 90 (242) 227 9463. Fax: 90 (242) 226 1469. E-mail: kozen@akdeniz.edu.tr

ISSN 0954-0121 print/ISSN 1360-0451 online # 2007 Taylor & Francis

DOI: 10.1080/09540120701203352
 Knowledge and attitudes of nursing students in Turkey
study will be useful both in identifying the knowl-
edge and attitudes of nursing students toward
PLHIV and in attracting all nurse educators’ atten-
tion to the subject in Turkey.
Methods
This research was conducted with all registered
nursing students (n
299) from the School of
Health at Akdeniz University in Antalya in the
2005 2006 academic year spring semester. The
researchers contacted and requested students’ parti-
cipation; 227 of the students agreed to participate
and filled out the questionnaires. Of the 72 (24.1%)
students who did not participate in the study, 25
(8.4%) questionnaires were duly completed, 37
(12.4%) students were not willing to participate or
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were not present in the classroom on the day of the
research and ten (3.3%) students participated in the
pilot study.
In order to determine and explore the students’
knowledge and attitudes towards PLHIV, both
quantitative and qualitative methods were used.
Quantitative data was obtained using a structured
and self-administered questionnaire, which had been
prepared for this study by the researchers after an
extensive review of the literature (Lohrmann et al.,
2000; Mahat & Scoloveno, 2006; Peate et al., 2002;
Savaşer, 2003; Tümer, 2006). The questionnaire
was composed of three parts: (1) students’ personal
data; (2) self-assessed statements to measure differ-
ent aspects of their knowledge on HIV/AIDS; and
(3) attitudes of nursing students towards PLHIV.
The second part consisted of a total of 45 state-
ments. The statements in the questionnaire were
related to the four categories: (1) prevention of HIV/
AIDS (six statements); (2) modes of transmission for
HIV/AIDS (22 statements); (3) diagnosis and treat-
ment of HIV/AIDS (ten statements); and (4) HIV/
AIDS risk group categories (seven statements).
The qualitative data was collected from the con-
fidential essays the participants wrote immediately
after they completed the questionnaire. For the
essays, the students were asked to answer some
open-ended questions: ‘Would you like to provide
care for PLHIV and why?’; ‘What did you feel while
caring for PLHIV?’; and ‘What kind of nursing care
would you want to provide to PLHIV?’ Of the 227
participants, 138 (60.8%) answered the confidential
essay questions. The qualitative data was analysed by
the researchers using the inductive content analysis
method, whereby the responses were classified into
larger combined classes. All the positive answers to
questions were added up *feelings of pity and
empathy to caring for PLHIV *as were also all the
answers reflecting negative feelings and attitudes *
had no desire to provide any kind of care for PLHIV.
889
Qualitative findings of the study are given in the
results section with the related quantitative results of
the study under the heading: ‘Attitudes, feelings
towards and willingness to care for PLHIV’.
Before filling in the questionnaire and/or writing
the essays, the students were informed about the
purpose of the research and the length of time it
would take. They were told that their participation
was voluntary and that they could withdraw from the
study at any time. They were assured that their
responses would remain confidential. Oral consent
to participate in this study was obtained. An
encouraging covering letter was enclosed with the
questionnaire.
Statistical analysis
Data was statistically analysed using the SPSS
statistical package version 13.0. Analysis of variance
(ANOVA), t -test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-
Wallis were utilised in statistical analysis. Tukey tests
had been applied as post-hoc tests for ANOVA
analysis. In all analyses, the usual significance level
was 0.05.
Each correct answer in section two of the question
form was credited with 1 point, whereas wrong
answers and ‘I don’t know’ answers were disre-
garded. The total possible score in section two was
45 points. This section consisted of four categories,
each of the four categories is scored by summing the
individual items in the category and the individual
scores for the categories that made up this section
were calculated, with scores ranging from 0 45. For
all items and categories that measure knowledge, a
higher score represents better knowledge.
Results
Part I: Demographic data
This study included 227 nursing students, all of
whom were female and of whom only 1.8% were
married. The mean age was 20.9791.81 (min 18;
max 28). The distribution of their grades was as
follows: first grade 63 (27.8%), second grade 49
(21.6%), third grade 59 (25.9%) and fourth grade
56 (24.7%). The primary source of information
about HIV/AIDS for students was their university
education (24%). The second most common source
was the media, constituting television and radio
(17.1%). Answers related to sexual risk behavior
indicate that 17 (7.5%) participants had had sexual
intercourse, of whom 23.5% were married and
76.5% were single Only 11 participants (27.3% of
whom were married and 72.7% single) reported
condom use during sexual intercourse.
 890 H. A. Bektaş & Ö. Kulakaç

Part II: Knowledge of HIV/AIDS
The students’ average knowledge score on HIV/
AIDS was 28.9997.03 out of 45 points. When the
sample was stratified into high (scores of 36 45),
moderate (scores of 24 35) and low knowledge
(scores below 24) groups, the data showed that a
small number had high knowledge scores (n
42;
18.5%). The majority had moderate knowledge (n

138; 60.8%), and some (n
47; 20.7%) had low
knowledge scores (Table I). As the grades and ages
of the students increased, the total knowledge score
rose significantly (F
26.925; p
0.000; x2(KW)

35.117; p
0.000 respectively). Students who had
had sexual contact had significantly higher scores
than the others (Z
2.309; p
0.021). As the
participants’ knowledge score increased, willingness

Table I. Distribution of student answers about knowledge of HIV/AIDS (n
227).

Yes No Don’t know

HIV/AIDS-related knowledge n (%) n (%) n (%)

Prevention of HIV/AIDS
Abstinence from sex 97 (42.7) 77 (33.9*) 53 (23.3)
Using a condom during sex 183 (80.6*) 8 (3.5) 36 (15.9)
Safe sex with one partnership 199 (87.7*) 5 (2.2) 23 (10.1)
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Using a vaccine for prevention 59 (26.0) 109 (48.0*) 59 (26.0)

Using medicine as prevention 30 (13.2) 134 (59.0*) 63 (27.8)
Prevention of HIV/AIDS is impossible 16 (7.0) 191 (84.1*) 20 (8.8)
Modes of transmission for HIV/AIDS
Sexual intercourse 113 (49.8*) 63 (27.8) 51 (22.5)
Foetal way from an infected mother 203 (89.4*) 11 (4.8) 13 (5.7)
Breast-feeding from an infected mother 130 (57.3*) 46 (20.3) 51 (22.4)
Using a needle previously used by infected person 208 (91.6*) 12 (5.3) 7 (3.1)
Hammered material that was used by infected person 201 (88.5*) 3 (1.3) 23 (10.1)
Shaving tools shared with an infected person 198 (87.2*) 16 (7.0) 13 (5.7)
Blood transfusion 206 (90.7*) 7 (3.1) 14 (6.2)
Transplantation 200 (88.1*) 7 (3.1) 20 (8.8)
Shaking hands, touching 27 (11.9) 171 (75.3*) 29 (12.8)
Sharing telephone 9 (4.0) 192 (84.6*) 26 (11.5)
Coughing, sneezing 74 (32.6) 119 (52.4*) 34 (15.0)
Walk/go to cinema 16 (7.0) 198 (87.2*) 13 (5.7)
Using the same toilet 93 (41.0) 91 (40.1*) 43 (18.9)
Using the same bathroom 77 (33.9) 110 (48.5*) 40 (17.6)
Using the same towel 128 (56.4) 72 (31.7*) 27 (11.9)
Public toilet 81 (35.7) 88 (38.8*) 58 (25.6)
Washing clothes with clothes of HIV positive 117 (51.5) 86 (37.9*) 24 (10.6)
Eating something prepared by an infected person 41 (18.1) 160 (70.5*) 26 (11.5)
Being in same school/cinema/metro 26 (11.5) 171 (75.3*) 30 (13.2)
Mosquito/insect bites 93 (41.0) 68 (30.0*) 66 (29.0)
Innocent kissing 53 (23.3) 129 (56.8*) 45 (19.8)
HIV/AIDS people must leave the job 24 (10.6) 168 (74.0*) 35 (15.4)
Diagnosis and Treatment
The reason of HIV/AIDS isn’t known 63 (27.8) 134 (59.0*) 30 (13.2)
HIV/AIDS attacks the immune system and facilitates opportunist infections 209 (92.1*) 4 (1.8) 14 (6.2)
The reason of illness is HIV 212 (93.4*) 9 (4.0) 6 (2.6)
The illness is simple and like influenza 59 (26.0) 147 (64.8*) 21 (9.3)
Weight loss is the symptom of HIV/AIDS 163 (71.8*) 17 (7.5) 47 (20.7)
High fewer, diarrhoea, kaposi’s sarcoma are the symptom of HIV/AIDS 164 (72.2*) 8 (3.5) 55 (24.2)
Individuals infected with HIV can appear healthy 183 (80.6*) 11 (4.8) 33 (14.5)
The diagnosis can understand by blood test 187 (82.4*) 15 (6.6) 25 (11.0)
If AIDS is diagnosed early, it can be treated 71 (31.3) 84 (37.0*) 72 (31.7)
HIV/AIDS isn’t a transmitted disease 15 (6.6) 183 (80.6*) 29 (12.8)
HIV/AIDS risk group categories
Intravenous drug users 184 (81.1*) 9 (4.0) 34 (15.0)
Patients requiring frequent blood transfusions 184 (81.1*) 10 (4.4) 33 (14.5)
Heterosexual relationship 128 (56.4*) 24 (10.6) 75 (33.0)
Homosexual relationship 64 (28.2*) 143 (63.0) 20 (8.8)
Those with multiple sex partners 188 (82.8*) 8 (3.5) 31 (13.7)
Dentists 195 (85.9*) 18 (7.9) 14 (6.2)
Hospital employees 182 (80.2*) 25 (11.0) 20 (8.8)

*Correct answers.
 Knowledge and attitudes of nursing students in Turkey
to care for PLHIV also increased significantly (t

3.469, p
0.001) (Table II).
The average knowledge-score related to the pre-
vention of HIV/AIDS was 3.9391.56 out of six
points; 65.5% of this section was answered correctly
by students. Older students from higher grades had a
significantly different score (F
28.489; p
0.000;
x2(K W)
34.128; p
0.000 respectively) (Table
II). As seen in Table I, 87.7% of the students were
aware of the importance of safe sex with a single
partner and 80.6% knew that use of a condom
during sex was necessary. Sexual abstinence was
supported by a considerable percentage of students
(42.7%).
The average knowledge-score related to transmis-
sion methods of HIV/AIDS was 12.4293.27 out of
22 points. Students’ knowledge was lowest in this
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section (56.4%). More than half of the students
identified incorrect methods of transmission as
correct. The percentage of students who believed
that PLHIV should avoid public places such as
school, the cinema and the metro and must leave
their jobs was rather low (about 10.6 11.5%).
Contrary to these findings, the percentage of in-
correct answers regarding methods of trans-
mission*such as coughing and sneezing, using the
same toilet and bathroom, public toilet, washing
clothes together and mosquito/insect bites *was
about 32.6 51.5% (Table I). Those from higher
grades and ages had a significantly different score
(Table II, F
27.005; p
0.000; x2(K W)

28.791; p
0.000 respectively).
The average knowledge-score related to diagnosis
and treatment of HIV/AIDS was 7.3491.95 out of
ten points (Table II); 27.8% of the students thought
that the reason for HIV/AIDS was unknown. Inter-
estingly, a quarter of students (26%) thought that
AIDS is not at all serious and is just like having a
common cold (Table I). There was a significant
difference in mean scores between grades and ages
(Table II, F
15.436; p
0.000; x2(K W)

24.805; p
0.000 respectively).
The average knowledge-score related to HIV/
AIDS risk groups was 5.3091.68 out of seven
points. This was the best-known section (75.7%)
of the questionnaire. There was a significant differ-
ence in mean scores between first and fourth grades
(Table II, F
2.832; p
0.039). The majority of
respondents knew that HIV is transmitted via
dentists (85.9%), that the risk of acquiring the virus
is highest among individuals who have multiple
sexual partners (82.8%), IV drug users (81.1%)
and patients requiring frequent blood transfusions
(81.1%) (Table I).
891
Part III. Attitudes, feelings towards and willingness to
care for PLHIV
In the present study 91.6% believed that HIV/AIDS
is an important problem for Turkish society and
73.1% of these students perceived that living in
Antalya, Turkey, increased their risk of getting HIV.
Of all participants, 78 (34.4%) mentioned that the
places they practiced as a nursing student at the
hospital carried a risk of being infected with HIV.
While 23% believed that HIV/AIDS is transmitted
via innocent kissing, another 18% of students
believed HIV/AIDS is transmitted via eating some-
thing prepared by an infected person. Twenty-seven
(11.9%) of them indicated that they would not shake
hands with or touch a PLHIV and 16 (7%) of the
students stated that they prefer not to walk/go to
cinema together with a PLHIV.
The quantitative findings of this study demon-
strated that nursing students were willing to care for
the patients with PLHIV who had contracted the
disease through maternal (30.8%) or sexual trans-
mission (25%) more than the patients who con-
tracted the HIV virus through blood transfusion
(22.4%) or injecting drugs (21.8%) (Table III).
From the students’ confidential essays it was under-
stood that some of them showed genuine fear of
HIV/AIDS and were unwilling to care for PLHIV.
An overwhelming concern about contracting the
disease leading to death was the reason why students
wished to avoid PLHIV: ‘They are infectious per-
sons, and I do not want to get close to them’, ‘I have
very bad feelings about the illness, not about the
PLHIV’, ‘My life is not cheap, I could not take such
a risk’, ‘I’m anxious and afraid of becoming in-
fected’.
Students saw AIDS as a punitive consequence of a
promiscuous sex life. Student statements included:
‘I’m sorry for them but feel angry with some of them
also . . . Because the most common reason for their
illness is that they could not overcome their sexual
desires’, and ‘Although they know that they could be
infected by HIV, they didn’t take preventative
measures, so I have very negative feelings towards
them’.
The qualitative findings suggest that feelings of
pity and empathy described by the students were
very common. These feelings are linked to half of the
participants (n
115; 50.7%), a rather positive
attitude to caring for PLHIV. Students expressed
their feelings in statements such as: ‘It is a difficult
process to accept’, ‘I feel their helplessness’, ‘They
need so much social support and affection’, ‘They
can cope with the disease if we aren’t prejudiced’,
‘This is an illness and they are human beings like
anyone else’, ‘They didn’t want this to happen. So I
 892
H. A. Bektaş & Ö. Kulakaç
Table II. Comparison of total student HIV/AIDS mean scores in relation to sociodemographic variables.

Sections (Mean scores)

1. Prevention 3.9391.56 2. Transmission 12.4293.27 3. Diagnosis and treatment 7.3491.95 4. Risk groups 5.3091.68 5. Total knowledge 28.9997.03
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Sociodemographic variables x̄ SD x̄ SD x̄ SD x̄ SD x̄ SD

Grade
1 (n
63) 2.79 1.27 10.00 2.66 6.17 1.65 4.79 1.78 23.76 5.80
2 (n
49) 3.77 1.34 12.41 3.15 7.33 2.05 5.41 1.71 28.92 6.85
3 (n
59) 4.27 1.42 12.97 2.54 7.62 1.61 5.51 1.39 30.37 4.88
4 (n
56) 5.00 1.32 14.57 2.98 8.36 1.87 5.57 1.73 33.50 6.73
F 28.489 27.005 15.436 2.832 26.925
p 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.039 0.000
Age
18 20 (n
100) 3.30 1.44 11.27 2.99 6.78 1.77 5.13 1.66 26.48 6.38
21 23 (n
108) 4.34 1.49 13.15 3.34 7.69 1.94 5.37 1.70 30.55 6.98
24(n
19) 4.95 1.35 14.31 2.19 8.26 2.21 5.84 1.57 33.57 6.14
X2 (K W) 34.128 28.791 24.805 5.568 35.117
p 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.062 0.000
Sexual experience
Yes (n
17) 4.59 1.62 13.23 4.29 8.29 2.36 5.35 1.90 31.47 9.17
No (n
210) 3.88 1.55 12.35 3.18 7.26 1.90 5.30 1.67 28.79 6.82
Z 2.004 1.755 2.938 0.368 2.309
p 0.045 0.079 0.003 0.713 0.021
Willingness to care
Yes (n
115) 4.35 1.46 13.14 2.92 7.58 1.87 5.49 1.67 30.56 6.46
No (n
112) 3.51 1.56 11.68 3.46 7.09 2.01 5.12 1.68 27.39 7.27
t 4.181 3.439 1.913 1.669 3.469
p 0.000 0.001 0.057 0.096 0.001
 Knowledge and attitudes of nursing students in Turkey 893

Table III. Nursing students’ willingness to care for PLHIV who The students who were sexually active had a
contracted the disease in different ways (n *
464).
significantly higher knowledge-level compared to
Modes of contracting HIV n (%) those who were sexually inactive. Although the
proportion of students who were sexually active
Maternal transmission 143 (30.8) was relatively small, the results of the present study
Sexual transmission 116 (25.0)
Blood transmission 104 (22.4)
should be stressed because Turkey is a Muslim
Injecting drugs 101 (21.8) country with conservative cultural values where
premarital sex is less common and female virginity
*The total numbers of participants is different because some
is preferred (Parla, 2001). Knowing someone with
participants gave more than one answer for same question or gave
no answer. and caring for PLHIV was also found to decrease the
fear and increase the knowledge level and willingness
want to support them in their suffering or isolation to care PLHIV. This finding is similar to those
from society. They need psychological support’, ‘I reported by Gershon et al. (1994) and Glad et al.
feel sorry for them because they have an incurable (1995).
illness and people stigmatise and isolate them from Negative attitudes towards PLHIV can interfere
society’ and ‘I feel pity for AIDS patients’. The most with the quality of nursing care and can cause stress
commonly indicated nursing task they were willing to nurses and patients alike (Martin, 1990). In this
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to engage in was taking the patient’s vital signs
(16.1%). The least preferred nursing task indicated
by the students was shaving (6%) (Table IV).
Discussion
The present study revealed a variable lack of knowl-
edge about HIV/AIDS among nursing students
inconsistent with the studies of Lohrmann et al.
(2000) and Peate et al. (2002). There were many
misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted, e.g.
shaking hands, using the same toilet or bathroom,
etc. This problem was also addressed by previous
investigators such as Tavoosi et al. (2004) and
Sikand et al. (1996).
Inconsistent with the findings of Lohrmann et al.
(2000) and Peate et al. (2002), some of the nursing
students were not aware that there was no cure for
HIV/AIDS with medication or vaccine. Savaşer
(2003) found that ninth and eleventh grade high
school students had the same incorrect knowledge
(35.5%) about curing AIDS. But it was very
unexpected to find similar findings among nursing
students.
Table IV. Nursing actions the nursing students’ willing to care for
PLHIV (n *
716).
Nursing actions
Taking vital signs
Intravenous medication by wearing gloves
Feeding dinner
Blood transfusion
Changing dressings
Giving a bed bath
Changing bed linen
Cleaning supplies for a person with HIV/AIDS
Shaving a patient with HIV/AIDS
*The total numbers of participants is different because some
participants gave more than one answer for same question or gave
no answer.
study there was a substantial negative attitude
towards AIDS and HIV-positive patients. There
was a similarity between UK (Earl & Penney,
2003) and Turkish samples on this subject: both
samples indicated quite similar findings in that the
greatest stigma was attached to persons who had
developed AIDS through injecting drugs, perhaps
because the illness was seen as a result of their
actions. There was also an interesting difference
between the samples: in contrast to the UK sample
(Earl & Penney, 2003), Turkish nursing students
attached a greater stigma to persons who had
received HIV-infected blood through transfusion
than PLHIV who had contracted the virus through
sexual transmission. Why nursing students should
believe this should be researched in future studies.
One of the reasons for students’ unwillingness to
care for PLHIV in this study was linked to the fear of
contracting HIV/AIDS consistent with the earlier
studies (Gershon et al., 1994; Glad et al., 1995;
Turhan et al., 2006). In a recent study, it was
indicated that those who were least willing to care
for PLHIV feared for their personal safety and did
not feel adequately prepared to care for PLHIV
(O’Sullivan et al., 2000).
Empathy, acknowledging feelings, being friendly
and bending the rules when necessary were the
n (%) desired attitudes by PLHIV mentioned in Marcelline
115 (16.1) and Penny’s (1995) qualitative study. Similarly, in
104 (14.5) this study, some nursing students’ feelings were
89 (12.4) based on concepts of professional and personal
88 (12.3) responsibility, such as empathy, and stated a rather
81 (11.3)
78 (10.9)
positive attitude to caring for PLHIV. In addition,
71 (9.9) Turkish nursing students’ writings showed that one
47 (6.6) of the most commonly indicated feelings was of
43 (6.0) feeling sorry/pity for PLHIV. The result of this study
indicating feeling sorry/pity for patients, and its
effects, should be studied in nurses who care for
chronically ill patients including PLHIV.
 894 H. A. Bektaş & Ö. Kulakaç
The most commonly indicated nursing task that
students stated they were willing to engage in during
this study was taking the vital signs of the patient.
This can be readily understood as this action
presents no risk for HIV infection. But it is difficult
to understand why administering intravenous med-
ication while wearing gloves was preferred by the
students (14.5%) to shaving PLHIV (6%). This
could be because shaving patients is not a common
nursing task among Turkish nurses, as many Turks
already shave their pubic region. Additionally it may
be due to the nature of Turkish and Islamic culture,
which harbours a hidden disapproval to touching a
man (if the PLHIV are men) who is a stranger.
Conclusion
Downloaded by [University of Limerick] at 06:56 19 May 2013
Nurse educators should ensure that education on all
aspects of HIV/AIDS is explicitly included in the
curriculum and that the teaching reflects the needs
of learners. Correcting wrong information will also
help reduce social isolation for PLHIV. Though
better knowledge does not necessarily lead to beha-
vioral changes, we believe that to improve nursing
students willingness to care for PLHIV, particular
emphasis should be placed on the training of nursing
students as skilled nursing staff with humane atti-
tudes towards PLHIV. The importance of a non-
judgemental approach should be fully encouraged.
Acknowledgements
The authors grateful to all the students who parti-
cipated in this study. This study received external
funding from Akdeniz University Scientific Research
Project Unit.
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