INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired

immune deficiency syndrome (AIDs) have emerged much tension and

anxieties among the public and health care providers. In reality the fear

of being infected at workplaces has led to irrational and discriminatory

treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS Adebajo (2003).

Unfortunately this kind of perspective and practice exists in health

professionals despite strong evidence that has revealed non

heterosexual contact with HIV-positive individuals and also taking careful

precautions while working with blood products of these people carry no

risk of HIV transmission (Tavoosi A. 2004).

Care of such patients concern the health care providers particular

laboratory technicians general physicians and nurses who have spent

much time with these patients (Zaferani A. 2004).

The consequences of such negative attitude result to poor management

of people living with HIV/AIDs who need most treatment and support

(Kermode 2005).

Desired health care for these patients is only possible by maintaining

positive attitude towards them. In the health care professionals up to

now various studies have been conducted in developed and developing

countries on the attitude of health care providers towards patients living

with HIV/AIDs (Walusimbi M. 2004).

The most interesting finding of this study was the fact that most of the

health care providers showed to have positive attitude toward patients

with HIV. This finding is similar to the result of another study by Fusilier

(1998) but contrary to what was found in a study from Nigeria by

Oyediran (2003).

These differences in attitude may be culture oriented or rooted in many

historical events.

These study showed that staff and healthcare providers should be

notified when a patient has HIV/AIDs infection. One reason might be

that if health care providers be aware of HIV infection of their patients

they may apply better protecting manners not to be infected (Moreland

2005)

In Nigeria an estimated 3.1 percent of adults between ages 15-49 are

living with HIV/AIDs. Although the HIV prevalence is much lower in

Nigeria than in other African countries such as South Africa and Zambia.

The size of Nigeria population is about 138 million at the end of 2007

there were an estimated 2600000 people infected with HIV/AIDs virus.

Approximately 170000 people died from AIDs in 2007 alone. With AIDs

claiming so many lives Nigeria’s life expectancy has declined

significantly. In 1991 the average life expectancy was 53.8 years for

women and 52.6 years for men in 2007 these figures had fallen to 46 for

women and 47 for men (2008).

Despite being the largest oil producer in Africa and the 12th largest in the

world Nigeria is ranked 158 out of 177 on the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP) Human Poverty Index. This poor

economic position has huge challenges in fighting its HIV/AIDs epidemic

(UNDP 2008).

When Olusegun Obasanjo became the President of Nigeria in 1999 HIV

prevention treatment and care became on the government’s primary

concerns. The President Committee on the AIDs and the Nation’s

Action Committee on AIDs (NACA) were created and in 2001 the

government setup a three year HIV/AIDs Emergency Action Plan

(HEAP). In the same year Obasanjo hosted the Organization of African

Unity’s First Africa Summit on HIV/AIDs Tuberculosis and other related

infectious Diseases by Adey (Adeyi et al 2006).

In 2002 the Nigerian government started an ambitious anti-retroviral

treatment programme which aimed to supply 10000 adult anti-retroviral

drugs within one year. An initial $3.5 million worth of ARVS were to be

imported from India and delivered at a subsidized monthly cost of 37 per

– person (Odutolu 2006).

The Nigerian government National HIV/AIDs strategic framework for

2005 to 2009 set out to provide ARVS to 80 percent of adults and

children with advanced HIV infection and to 80 percent of HIV-positive

pregnant women all by 1020 (WHO UNAID and UNICEF 2007).

However in the revised framework from 2010 to 2015 the treatment

goals were set back to 2015 (NACA 2009).

Statement of the Problem

The consequences of nurses negative attitude result to poor

management of people living with HIV/AIDs (PLWHA) who need much

care treatment and support.

Desired health care for these patients is only positive attitude towards

them can help to reduce their suffering. The current situation of the

negative attitude of nurses as health care providers to people living with

HIV/AIDs in the General Sani Abacha State Specialist Hospital

Damauru of Yobe state is something of great concern; the people living

with HIV/AIDs infected are really getting the expected quality care.

HIV/AIDs being a life threatening condition emerged much tension and

anxieties among the public and the health care providers.

Nurses in the General Sani Abacha State Specialist Hospital Damaturu

are taking careful precautions while working with blood or feacal

products of these patients living with HIV/AIDs to avoid risk of HIV

contamination. Also lack of available equipment and facilities for the

nurses in the state specialist hospital Damaturu to rendered quality care

to these HIV/AIDs infected patients.

However as a result of inadequate protective devices for the nurses to

work with they have now shifted their nursing responsibilities to the

HIV/AIDs infected patients relation for their own protection.

Therefore the study aimed to investigate the negative attitude of nurses

as health care providers toward people living with HIV/AIDs infected

patients at the General Sani Abacha State Specialist Hospital

Damaturu Yob state.

Objective of the Study

The main purpose of the study is:

i) To determine the knowledge and attitude of nurses toward people

living with HIV/AIDs infected patients

ii) To identify whether poor condition of service is responsible for

nurses negative attitude to the HIV/AIDs infected patients

iii) Examine the role played by the Yobe state government and non

governmental organization in respect of care for the HIV/AIDs

infected patients

iv) To determine how the socio-cultural belief of the nurses can affect

their attitude toward the care and management of HIV/AIDs

infected patient

Significant of the Study

The study is important as it concerned with the knowledge of nurses

attitude toward people living with HIV/AIDs infected clients.

The beneficiaries of this study include the nurses in the state specialist

hospital Damaturu. The study will help them to have quality skills and

change of attitude toward HIV/AIDs infected patients.

Both the tutors and students of the School of Nursing will benefit by

adding more knowledge to the student about the condition. The study

will inform the management of the state specialist hospital Damaturu

about the problem of care for the HIV/AIDs patients thereby enabling

them to provide nurses with facilities to carry out nursing procedure. The

government and non-governmental organization would benefit by having

a more productive workforce. The policy makers will benefit from the

study by putting more attention to the care of HIV/AIDs infected patients

by the nurses.

HIV/AIDs infected patients relative and others will also benefit from the

study by giving them a first hand information in other to develop a

positive attitude toward HIV/AIDs infected patients.

Scope of the Study

The study is going to be carried out among the nurses in the state

specialist hospital Damaturu due to good assistability to the researcher

and fund to carry out the study.

Also limited time available did not give room for a broader study.

Research Questions

The research is based on the following questions:

i) To what extent the knowledge of HIV/AIDs affect nurses attitude

toward people living with HIV infection?

ii) To what extent poor condition of service influence nurses attitude

toward HIV/AIDs infected patients?

iii) What are the roles played by the government and

non-governmental organization in assisting HIV/AIDs infected

patients?

iv) To what extent the socio-cultural beliefs of the nurses affect the

care of HIV/AIDs infected patients?

Operational Definition of Terms

i) HIV/AIDs: Human immune deficiency virus/Acquired immune

deficiency syndrome

ii) Attitude: The way an individual think and feel about somebody or

something

iii) Nurses: A person who is discipline qualified in the art and science

of nursing and meet certain standards of education and clinical

competence registered with the nurses and Nigeria is title a

professional nurses.

iv) Infections: Caused by or capable of being transfer from person to

person or animal to animal

v) Patients: A person who is ill or under going treatment for disease