Nursing Care
HIV / AIDS is a condition that has taken on pandemic proportions. Nursing and other health care professionals are therefore highly concerned not only with the current care of patients suffering from the condition, but also with new advancements in this care. This is why articles such as "CE: Nursing in the Fourth Decade of the HIV Epidemic" by Starr and Springer (2014) are such an important part of nursing practice today. The nurse is required to not only have a thorough knowledge of his or her profession and current practice, but also of research advancements that can improve the lives of HIV positive and AIDS sufferers. This is particularly the case for this condition, since there is currently no known cure. Starr and Springer's article provides some very important information on the advances within medical science and the field of AIDS research. It therefore provides great benefits for nursing practice and future research in the field.
The premise of the article is that nurses have had a significantly positive effect on the lives of HIV / AIDS sufferers as the disease is managed today. People with HIV 30 years ago, for example, considered it to be a virtual death sentence. Today, however, it is a chronic but manageable condition. It is only through the tireless work of nurses to advocate and educate that the disease today is no longer seen as a harbinger of death or indeed is no longer as attached to stigma as it was before. Nurses have accomplished this by continuous education -- providing...
Starr and Springer emphasize that nurses must never stop the positive impact they have had on patients and the general public when it comes to HIV education and prevention practices.
The article begins by offering general information about the nature of HIV and AIDS diagnoses, how it is transmitted, and the risk factors for the condition. Towards the end of the introductory section, the authors note that poverty is one of the greatest demographic risk factors for HIV in the United States. The problem has become sufficiently significant in the country that the Office of National AIDS Policy has published the National HIV / AIDS Strategy for the country in 2010. The areas addressed in the policy are focused upon prevention in order to decrease new infections, provide a higher level of access to care for those already suffering from the condition, and to reduce disparities in the health of those suffering from HIV infection. The authors emphasize, however, that this evidence of public awareness and official policy does not mean that the importance of nurses in this role has been reduced. In fact, nurses' roles remain vital in the prevention and mitigation of the effects if AIDS in the country. This is emphasized throughout the rest of the article, where the authors describe the various roles nurses can play in screening for HIV, care, ensuring adherence to therapy, preventing new infections, and so on. In this way, nurses play a collaborative role with…
