Turkish nursing students' knowledge of and attitudes towards patients with HIV/AIDS

Aims and objectives To assess nursing students' knowledge of and attitudes towards such patients and to determine the variables associated with students' knowledge and attitudes towards them. Background Improving nurses' and nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards patients with HIV/AIDS is vital for providing quality care for such patients. Design This descriptive, cross‐sectional study was conducted at three nursing schools located in two different cities in Turkey. The inclusion criteria for the nursing students were as follows: being at least 18 years old; being a first‐, second‐, third‐ or fourth‐year nursing student; and giving consent to participate in the research. Methods The sample comprised 580 nursing students. The study used three data collection tools: (1) the Student Socio‐Demographic Questionnaire, (2) the HIV/AIDS Knowledge Questionnaire and (3) the HIV/AIDS Attitude Questionnaire. Results Participants' knowledge was found to be insufficient, particularly with regard to HIV transmission routes. They generally had positive attitudes towards patients with HIV/AIDS. However, they expressed some concerns and were hesitant about working with AIDS and HIV‐positive patients. Conclusions The current results reveal that nursing students still have misconceptions and a lack of knowledge of HIV/AIDS and that their attitudes need to be improved. Relevance to clinical practice Improving education programmes about HIV/AIDS and using information sources effectively may contribute to better knowledge and more desirable attitudes towards HIV/AIDS.