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Monday, 31 October 2011
Learning Objective 1: List the essential components of a clinical nurse mentor training program in a limited resource setting
Learning Objective 2: Describe the the essential steps in the design and evaluation of a clinical training program in a limited resource setting
An estimated 5.7 million people were living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa in 2009, more than in any other country. In 2008, over 250,000 South Africans died of AIDS. The implementation of antiretroviral treatment in South Africa has had mixed results. An estimated 28 percent of infected people were receiving treatment for HIV at the end of 2007 in South Africa, below the average across lower- and middle-income countries. This paper describes the design, implementation and results of a year long intensive nurse mentor training program in which a cadre of 10 professional nurse mentors were trained in HIV care and treatment in the rural Eastern Cape, South Africa. Long situated as the frontline providers of care and referral in primary health centers in the public sector, nurses are positioned to become a critical link in the efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with HIV/AIDS. Despite the proliferation of formal trainings in HIV care and treatment, the lack of clinical expertise in the treatment of this disease remains an ongoing challenge. The need for reproducible models of training that quickly and efficiently promote clinical confidence and expertise while building capacity among professional nurses lead to the design of a clinical nurse mentoring program. Results indicate that a nurse mentor training program is associated with improved competencies in mentoring, HIV care and physical exam skills in a cadre of nurse mentors working in public sector HIV treatment clinics as measured by self report and observation at 3, 6, and 10 months after study initiation. Statistical analysis also suggests significance in the number of HIV infected children enrolled in HIV care in public sector clinics where nurse mentors were placed compared to clinics without a nurse mentor.