Strategies for nurses to address discrimination

Quality nursing care aims to provide appropriate non-discriminatory care and seeks to eliminate prejudicial attitudes.  Strategies nurses can use to help change attitudes and promote ethical care of people with HIV include:

  • Role modelling and demonstrating kindness,[21]core actions to support care that is respectful of human rights
  • Educating other health-care workers and the general community about HIV
  • Providing education about the appropriate use of standard precautions; educational interventions around HIV-related fear and myths and misunderstandings about transmission risks
  • Leading discussions about ethical issues and providing an open forum for questions and clarification of concerns
  • Moral consciousness-raising among colleagues about the effects of stigma and discrimination[22]
  • Using HIV-positive speakers in health-care worker education,[23] [24] identified as one of the most successful ways of changing attitudes.