ABSTRACT
In Uganda, 60% of HIV-infected adults are women of childbearing age. Considering this, midwives in Uganda play a pivotal role in reducing HIV transmission and providing high quality care to the many women and families affected by the disease. In this pilot study, investigators described the knowledge and attitudes of Uganda's private midwives regarding HIV. Overall knowledge levels were reported to be low, and the majority of participants reported overwhelming fear of contracting the disease from practice. Despite these challenges, the midwives' attitudes regarding HIV were positive. The results of this study support previous results. Additional studies focusing on midwives and traditional birth attendants in Uganda are warranted. The initiation of HIV continuing education programs and professional support for Ugandan midwives is also recommended.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , HIV Infections/prevention & control , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Nurse Midwives , Adult , Clinical Competence/standards , Cross-Sectional Studies , Education, Nursing, Continuing , Fear , Female , HIV Infections/epidemiology , HIV Infections/transmission , Health Services Needs and Demand , Humans , Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional/prevention & control , Male , Middle Aged , Midwifery/education , Nurse Midwives/education , Nurse Midwives/psychology , Nurse's Role/psychology , Nursing Education Research , Nursing Methodology Research , Pilot Projects , Stereotyping , Surveys and Questionnaires , Uganda/epidemiologyABSTRACT
This article reports the findings from a participatory action research study concerning the experience of Ugandan nurses caring for individuals with HIV illness. Six key informants from government and non-governmental organizations were interviewed using a semistructured format. Six nurses from a large national referral hospital in Kampala, Uganda, participated in 10 focus group meetings during a period of 11 months. In-depth interviews, focus groups, and photovoice were used to collect the data. Findings indicate that nurses faced many challenges in their daily care, including poverty, insufficient resources, fear of contagion, and lack of ongoing education. Nurses experienced moral distress due to the many challenges they faced during the care of their patients. Moral distress may lead nurses to quit their jobs, which would exacerbate the acute shortage of nurses in Uganda. This study provides important knowledge for guiding clinical practice and nursing education in resource-constrained countries like Uganda.
Subject(s)
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/nursing , Attitude of Health Personnel/ethnology , Nurse's Role/psychology , Nursing Staff, Hospital/psychology , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiology , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Clinical Competence , Education, Nursing, Continuing , Empathy , Equipment and Supplies, Hospital/supply & distribution , Fear , Female , Focus Groups , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Services Research , Hospitals, Public , Hospitals, Teaching , Humans , Infection Control , Male , Nursing Methodology Research , Nursing Staff, Hospital/education , Poverty/psychology , Self Efficacy , Surveys and Questionnaires , Uganda/epidemiologyABSTRACT
This article describes issues to consider when planning and conducting international research projects. Key considerations include building collaboration, developing a comprehensive and feasible research plan, funding and budgets, addressing human subjects concerns, and analyzing and disseminating project findings. These considerations and related methodological issues are discussed in the context of a replication pilot project conducted outside Kampala, Uganda. Ongoing dialog, flexibility, and collaboration, in addition to good science, are critical to developing successful international research projects.
Subject(s)
Cooperative Behavior , Cross-Cultural Comparison , International Cooperation , Pilot Projects , Cultural Diversity , Developing Countries , HIV Infections/ethnology , HIV Infections/prevention & control , Humans , Information Dissemination , Interdisciplinary Communication , Needs Assessment , Nontherapeutic Human Experimentation , Planning Techniques , Program Development/methods , Reproducibility of Results , Research Design/standards , Research Support as Topic , Surveys and Questionnaires/standards , Translating , Uganda , United StatesABSTRACT
Nurses working in a regional hospital represent the largest group of health care workers in Uganda. Four hundred seventy-seven nurses and midwives completed the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) knowledge and attitude surveys (86% response rate). Approximately 95% (n = 452) had provided care to HIV/AIDS patients; yet 86% (n = 388) believed resources to obtain HIV/AIDS information were inadequate. Fear of contagion was great (47%, n = 232). HIV/AIDS knowledge gaps included "precaution and transmission" (64.7%) and "agent and immunology" (53.4%). Knowledgeable respondents had less fear of contagion. Positive attitudes toward patients with HIV/AIDS were displayed despite fear of contagion.
