HIV/AIDS NURSING
Acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease in human beings caused by Human immuno deficiency virus (HIV) which affects the human immune system and makes the body weak and immune to all diseases and infections or tumors. This disease has no cure and no vaccine has been invented to prevent this dreadful disease. It is better to prevent this particular disease than trying to cure it by promoting safe sex and needle exchange programmes as this disease is mainly caused through the direct contact of mucous membrane with any bodily fluid containing the virus.
HIV/AIDS Nursing includes the prevention of the spreading of HIV and also helping the infected to get on with various aspects of the disease. The nursing also includes reducing the patients’ pain to the maximum extent and giving them the freeness to do anything and giving them their independence. It also includes giving support and love to the family of the patient. Nursing a HIV/AIDS patient at home is always a better option when compared with treatment in a hospital under a clinical setting.
Nursing for HIV/AIDS is a challenging job to do as they have to be very careful of the patients’ condition and they need to take regular checkups of the patients’ inorder to make sure that their condition is normal. The patients even need to be morally supported by the nurses and clean environments must be maintained around the patients. Nurses need to educate people about the causes; effects and spread of the virus and campaigns must also be held inorder to keep people updated about the virus and its effects. In resource limited settings, nurses have played a crucial role in taking multiple responsibilities in HIV care and treatment, both in traditional areas and also in the new areas inorder to treat the people with infection effectively and get them back to life.
Some of the main duties of the nurses include providing healthcare to patients suffering with HIV/AIDS, educating the families of the patients about living and tackling with the disease, monitoring the patient’s condition in a continual fashion, ensuring the comfort of the patients and also referring them to other health care professionals for further treatments. Taking care of AIDS patients can be challenging, heart breaking but also very rewarding. It is an achievement in itself when the patient’s health becomes better.
Inorder to get the job in HIV/AIDS nursing, there are a few procedures to follow. The person must take an exam called as Aids Certified Registered Nurse (ACRN) exam which is sanctioned by Association of Nurses in Aids Care (ANAC) and the concerning Aids Nursing Certification Board. The certification is supposed to be highly valued and it is rewarded by recognizing the person as an expertise in the field of AIDS and also in treating the patients. The nurses not only learn to develop their interpersonal communication skills but also learn to live happily by caring, loving, supporting and helping the patients suffering which gives them ample satisfaction of achievement.
