Knowledge and perceptions of HIV/AIDS among Cameroonian nursing students.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic impacts people throughout the world and is complicated by fear, prejudice, and stigma. Nurses play a major role in the health care delivery systems, yet in many parts of the world with high HIV sero-prevalence rates, nurses lack sufficient training and education to provide care to patients with HIV/AIDS. In an effort to build capacity and improve knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding care of patients with HIV/AIDS, a 4-day workshop was provided by American nursing students for Cameroonian nursing students. The training program included HIV epidemiology, disease management, and natural course of the disease, testing, legal and ethical issues, and infection control practices. Pre- and post-test scores were calculated using a series of surveys that measured HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. Results indicated that these measures of HIV-related perceptions improved due to the train-the-trainer workshop.