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Monday, November 2, 2009: 2:20 PM
Learning Objective 1: understand the challenges that are faced by the South African nurses working with families of children suffering from HIV and AIDS.
Learning Objective 2: engage in a discussion where the fusion of science and culture will be discussed and the impact this has on the nurses.
“Keeping a Night Vigil” in the face of HIV and AIDS and Death. A Fusion of Scientific and Cultural Rituals: A Pediatric Nurses’ Conundrum.
The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning of holistic nursing care and to develop a framework for holistic nursing care in the context of paediatric nursing.
One of the objectives of this study was to identify the characteristics and dimensions of “holistic nursing care”. In this presentation I will discuss the results from this objective.South Africa has the third highest prevalence of HIV-infection in the world. Fifty to sixty of the bed occupancy in public hospitals is filled by HIV-positive people with increasing death rates. It is not uncommon to find up to eight HIV and AIDS related death in paediatric wards in one day. The emotional burden of caring for the presumably sick mother and child complicates the nurse-family relationships bringing a different perspective to psychosocial interactions between the nurse, family, and child.
Prolonged engagement with persons living with HIV and AIDS providing extensive physical and emotional care affects the nurse. The constant threat of inevitable death and keeping ‘night vigil’ was a major source of concern for participants. End of life care focused on family beliefs and rituals creating a fusion of science and culture. When the nurse perceived the inadeqaucy of medical treatment as in “no cure”, the nurse would bring the spiritual and cultural dimensions of care to effect.
The quality of nurse-family relationships was either disengaging or more engaging. For the nurses who were personally affected by HIV and AIDS nurse patient relationships were more engaging.
The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning of holistic nursing care and to develop a framework for holistic nursing care in the context of paediatric nursing.
One of the objectives of this study was to identify the characteristics and dimensions of “holistic nursing care”. In this presentation I will discuss the results from this objective.
Prolonged engagement with persons living with HIV and AIDS providing extensive physical and emotional care affects the nurse. The constant threat of inevitable death and keeping ‘night vigil’ was a major source of concern for participants. End of life care focused on family beliefs and rituals creating a fusion of science and culture. When the nurse perceived the inadeqaucy of medical treatment as in “no cure”, the nurse would bring the spiritual and cultural dimensions of care to effect.
The quality of nurse-family relationships was either disengaging or more engaging. For the nurses who were personally affected by HIV and AIDS nurse patient relationships were more engaging.