Paper
Saturday, July 14, 2007
A Quick Survey of an HBCU's First Year Nursing Students' Perception of the HIV/AIDS Phenomenon
Joseph A. Adepoju, PhD, RN1, Mary P. Watkins, Ph, D, RN2, and Agnes Richardson, DSL, RN2. (1) Dept. of Nursing, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, USA, (2) Nursing, Delaware State University, Coll. of Health and Public Policy, Dover, DE, USA
| Learning Objective #1: To appraise freshmen nursing students' knowledge of the HIV/AIDS Phenomenon |
| Learning Objective #2: To determine the frshmen nursing students'perception about the health risks associated with the HIV/AIDS Phenomenon |
There have always been some assumptions about the knowledge of HIV/AIDS phenomenon among graduating high school seniors. To ascertain their knowledge, a survey questionnaire with Yes ?No answers, and thoughtful cooments about HIV/AIDS was administered to students in their first semester in college. The freshmen class of sixty-eight students (two groups of thirty-four) enrolled in a course titled University Seminar were asked to annonymously fill out the questionnaire about their perceptions and knowledge of the HIV/AIDS phenomenon. Findings from the study indicate that the students were knowledgeable about the fact that HIV/AIDS can make sick enough to die, whereas they were willing to submit to the sexual demands of their partners, even when the latter refused to wear condom. About half of the respondents rated as very important, the fact that using a condom may change their feelings of the sexual experience and therefore this situation may affect their decision on whether or not to insist on using a condom. In conclusion, it is recommended that the students be exposed to intensive HIV/AIDS education as incorporated in the curriculum, and repeat the questionnaire in their senior year in the program to ascertain whether there has been a change or not in their attitude.