Knowledge and attitudes of occupational therapy students regarding AIDS

In this pilot study, knowledge regarding AIDS was tested in 36 occupational therapy students and 33 education students. Also measured were the students' attitudes toward AIDS patients and the resulting health care controversies. An analysis of the results revealed no significant differences in knowledge between the two groups. Attitudinal differences between the two groups, however, were significant for two items. Implications for occupational therapy curricula are discussed.     

AIDS: attitudes and education

The purpose of this study was to explore hospital employed health professionals' attitudes to AIDS and homosexuals. Questionnaires were distributed to all health professionals in a 250-bed paediatric teaching hospital in Perth, Western Australia. The results constitute a database for nurses involved in staff development and AIDS education. The findings indicate that such programs must deal with the personal domain of attitudes to AIDS and homosexuals as much as with factual information. Furthermore, meaningful differences between target groups must be accommodated within the design of the program.     

AIDS and student attitudes

When recently polled, one half of 4,100 physicians believed they had the right not to treat patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and 15% said they would actually refuse to care for them. To assure medical care for the 365,000 AIDS patients projected for the US by 1992, it is imperative to know whether there is something unique about AIDS patients that produces aversion among physicians. We hypothesized that the desire to avoid AIDS patients derived from three fears: fear of contagion, homophobia, and a desire to avoid dying patients. To identify the extent to which these three fears affect the attitudes that students hold toward AIDS patients, we conducted three studies. In our first study, we discovered that students' views about a patient with a terminal illness are the same whether the illness is leukemia or AIDS. In the second study, we found that the patient's sexual preference was not the major reason students would avoid an AIDS patients. In a third study, we confirmed that fear of contagion is the principal cause of students' desire to avoid an AIDS patient. In the course of these studies, we found important differences between the attitudes of male and female students. Female students scored lower on the homophobic scale than male students, and they had less antipathy toward AIDS patients. Helping health care professionals understand their fears toward patients with AIDS will in the long run improve medical care. Since the origins of these fears are for the most part well hidden in our unconscious, dissemination of facts alone will not do the job. Interventions are needed to help health care professionals acknowledge and overcome their negative feelings about AIDS.     

Factors associated with knowledges and attitudes about measles and rubella immunization in a non-health care occupational setting in Japan

IntroductionElimination of measles and rubella has been achieved in several countries and some regions. After verified measles elimination, some countries have reported outbreaks among adults in occupational settings such as health care institution and school setting. Studies have reported that knowledge and attitude for measles and/or rubella are significantly associated with immunization uptake in adults, but few studies have been conducted in settings other than health care facilities and schools.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study among 134 office employees during a routine health checkup in June 17–20, 2014, to examine the association between willingness to receive immunization and knowledge and attitudes.ResultsApproximately 75% had a protective level of antibody for measles (PA≥1:256) and rubella (HI ≥ 32 IU/mL). After adjustment for sex, age and immune status, the attitudes that immunization prevents measles (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 7.8, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 2.5–24.7) and prevents infection and transmission to others (aOR = 4.0, 95%CI: 1.4–11.4). Knowing that males are the vulnerable group for rubella infection (aOR = 5.8, 95%CI: 2.4–13.9), attitude that immunization prevents rubella infection (aOR = 7.9, 95%CI: 2.4–26.5), and prevents infection and transmit to others (aOR = 6.7, 95%CI: 2.2–20.1) were significantly associated with willingness to receive immunization after adjustment for sex, age, and immune status.ConclusionsStudies have shown that physicians and other health care workers are important source of information for promotion of immunization. Thus, we recommend that physicians educate and promote immunization for measles and/or rubella to adults working in offices during routine health checks.     

Managing your legal risks in the perioperative setting

As perioperative nurses, we need to manage the risks we face, understand the legal process, and incorporate these principles into our daily practice. The operating room is full of unique patient situations--reasonable care in one situation may not be the same in another. We must weigh the potential for injury versus the cost of our actions.     

AIDS attitudes and attitudes toward caring for dying patients

This article reports on a survey of nursing staff working in AIDS residential health care facilities. More than two - thirds of respondents expressed non - punitive attitudes towards AIDS. Certified nursing assistants were more likely to report negative attitudes toward caring for dying patients than registered nurses. In general, respondents who had less punitive AIDS attitudes also reported less negative attitudes toward caring for dying patients. Nursing staff in AIDS residential facilities may benefit from further training that addresses issues involved in working with AIDS patients and caring for dying patients.     

AIDS: guidelines for occupational therapy intervention

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is currently considered the nation's number one health problem. More than 30,000 persons have been diagnosed with this disease to date, and 40,000 new cases are anticipated for the next 2 years. This paper reviews the current facts regarding AIDS, including its modes of transmission and clinical symptomatology. Guidelines for occupational therapy assessment and treatment are presented, including general precautions and recommended intervention strategies.     

Collective bargaining in the service setting: a survey of faculty attitudes

Collective bargaining activity by nurses is a fairly recent event in the health care industry and labor-management relations. This article reports the findings of an exploratory study designed to identify the attitudes of baccalaureate nursing faculty toward collective bargaining in the service setting. The project is based on the premise that faculty attitudes are a fundamental factor in shaping the views of future practitioners. The attitude of faculty was found, at best, conditional. Consensus is lacking in such areas as professionalization vs. unionization and in feelings about the use of the strike.