Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) content in accredited nursing school curricula and development of a model curriculum

Concern about the dramatic increase in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and how information about the disorder had impacted nursing school curricula led to this national survey. The purpose of the study was to obtain information about current curricular offerings and policy formulation in National League for Nursing (NLN) accredited schools of nursing. A secondary purpose was to investigate whether the size and type of school and the incidence of AIDS in patients in its major clinical teaching agency had an impact on the inclusion of AIDS content in the curriculum. The final purpose was to develop a model curriculum designed to prepare nursing students to effectively and humanely care for AIDS-infected individuals and their loved ones.

A random sample of the nation's 1,073 accredited nursing programs was selected. A total of 547 schools were surveyed by mail questionnaire. Usable questionnaires were returned by 366 schools representing a 67 percent response rate. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia were represented in the sample. Responses were received from 47 states and the District of Columbia. The survey instrument was developed by the researcher with review by a panel of experts.

Findings included; (1) Ninety-eight percent of surveyed schools were including some AIDS content in their curricula; (2) Observation of role models and student participation in direct patient care were used less often than didactic teaching methods; (3) No significant postulated research factors were determined to impact the inclusion of AIDS in nursing curricula.

The researcher concluded that schools of nursing need to incorporate more affective and behavioral learning methods in addition to cognitive ones in order to improve the attitudes of nurses toward people with AIDS and thereby improve nursing care. A five module model curriculum including objectives, resources, and evaluation criteria for each module, was suggested as a vehicle for attitude improvement. Guidelines for school policy formulation, recommendations for professional organization involvement in this issue, and implications for future research were also provided.