Changes in Patient Care as a Result of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Journal of Health Occupations Education
Changes in Patient Care as a Result of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Janice R. Sandiford Ph.D. 0
Lorene S. Farris Ed.D. 0
Florida International University 0
Florida International University
0 University of Central Florida Libraries , USA
Recommended Citation
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policies and procedures relative to patient care since 1985 in an attempt
to identify how local health care agencies are responding to problems
associated with care of Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome individuals.
Questionnaires were mailed either to the director of Nursing or the
Director of Education in each of 75 local health care facilities.
Information relative to current changes in poiicies and procedures is
necessary to reduce potential liabilities against health occupations
students being misinformed or contracting che disease because of
deficiencies in instruction. The findings indicated that (a) changes in” ,
policy and procedures occurred, (b) changes in attitudes of health care
workers were evident, and (c) students in health occupations programs
‘Janice R. Sandiford, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Health Occupations
Education, College of Education at Florida International University; and
Lorene S. Farris, Ed.D., is a Professor in the School of Nursing at Florida
International University.
I
Published by STARS, 1988
36
1
Sandiford and Farris: Changes in Patient Care as a Result of AIDS
Changes in Patient Care
Survey of the Literature
Recent professional literature has attended to problems of caring for
individuals diagnosed with AIDS or carrying the virus. IL was noc possible
to refer to all documents available in the professional and general literature
because che number was unmanageably large. For purposes of this study the
researchers chose to Limit the search of the Literature to those references
deaLing with the scope of the probLem, practitioner knowLedge of the disease,
and practitioner attitudes.
Scope of the ProbLem
“Since its initial recognition in 198L, the Acquired Immuno Deficiency
Syndrome (AIDS) has become a globaL pandemic” (Quinn, L987, p. 7). In the
United States in 1987, AIDS struck more than 20,000 people, increasing the
number of cases past 50,000
(“20,000 New”, 1988)
.
Quinn (1987)
estimated
over 270,000 cases of AIDS will have developed in the United States by L99L,
from the present pooL of 1-2 million HIV infected individuals. Florida
reported 826 new cases from January to mid-August 1987 with a mortaLity rate
approaching 64% (Morris, L987). From this frightening number emerges
increasing responsibiLities for health care providers who respond to these
increasing patient care loads. AIDS poses many serious challenges for the
nation: legal, ethicaL, and practical. Even greater challenges await health
care professionals who need to be concerned with protecting (a) individuals
having the disease, (b) other sick and injured individuals from innocently
contracting the disease, and (c) themselves from contracting the disease. It
38
Journal of Health Occupations Education, Vol. 3 [1988], No. 1, Art. 5
Changes in Patient Care
is evident that health care professionals are concerned. :hev are voicing
their concern by their actions and expression of attitudes.
Recently,
Nursing Life (1986
) asked readers to respond to a situation
related to resuscitating a patient with AIDS. Responses indicated this to be
a highly charged issue and suggested many nurses did not want to jeopardize
their health. The poll found (a) 60% of nurses would not resuscitate this
patient, and (b) 16% have refused care for AIDS patients.
Abrams (1986)
, an ethicist, stated it was unreasonable to expect
anyone, including health care workers to administer mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation to a patient with AIDS. This attitude could result in major
legal battles, neglect of patients, unfilled vacancies, and fLight from the
profession.
Health care workers are at risk. In Flay 1987, the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) reported a total of nine health care workers had been infected
with huzna~ immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after having either (a) directly
cared for AIDS patients, (b) had needle stick exposure, or (c) had exposure
to blood without a needle stick. However, at the June, 1987, meeting of the
American Nurses Association House of Delegates, the motion passed to urge all
health care workers to become familiar with CDC guidelines and reaffirm
commitment to provide care to all people in need of services regardless of
illness
(American Nurses Association, 1987)
.
One change in care of AIDS clients is reflected in a change in policy
and procedures due to weekly updates from The Centers for Disease Control
39
Changes in Patient Care
which publishes che Morbiditv and }lortalitv Weeiiv ReDort on prevention
HIV transmission in health care settings. The p~evio~sly recommended
isolation category of blood and body fluid precautions for ..iIDS patients only
has changed to a universal blood (...truncated)