Perceptions of Rural Nurses and Perceived Family Stigma in Mississippi Nurses Related To HIV/AIDS: A Quantitative Study

Jones ML, Montgomery AJ, Gomes M, Burns DP, McGee ZT and Hales TN

Published on: 2020-12-02

Abstract

According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA, 2014), there are approximately1.1 million individuals living in the United States with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Healthcare professionals, such as nurses often exhibit stigma against patients with HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this study was to examine rural, community-based nurses’ perceptions related to HIV/AIDS stigma while caring for patients with the disease in rural areas of Mississippi. This study further assessed nurses’ perceptions of whether they stigmatize patients living with HIV/AIDS and whether nurses are stigmatized by family members for providing care to patients living with HIV/AIDS.

A convenience sample of (n = 47) nurses that worked in Federally Qualified Health Centers throughout the state of Mississippi participated in the study. The HIV/AIDS Stigma Instrument – Nurse (HASI-N) and a demographic questionnaire were used as instruments to collect the data.

Quantitative results revealed that there was no statistically significant stigma exhibited by nurses who care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS; neither was there significant stigma exhibited by the family of those who provide care for individuals living with the disease. There is the opportunity to further examine the study participants to understand their perceptions through qualitative methods. The results of the qualitative approach will be discussed in a separate article.