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Hepatitis C virus in primary care: survey of nurses’ attitudes to caring
Author(s) -
Frazer Kate,
Glacken Michele,
Coughlan Barbara,
Staines Anthony,
Daly Leslie
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of advanced nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.948
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1365-2648
pISSN - 0309-2402
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05516.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatitis c , family medicine , nursing , public health , hepatitis , health care , infection control , hepatitis c virus , immunology , virus , economics , economic growth , pathology
frazer k., glacken m., coughlan b., staines a. & daly l. (2011) Hepatitis C virus in primary care: survey of nurses’ attitudes to caring. Journal of Advanced Nursing 67 (3), 598–608. Abstract Aim. This paper is a report of a study measuring attitudes of primary care nurses towards caring for people with hepatitis C. Background. Hepatitis C is a major public health problem. Attitudes to caring for people with hepatitis C vary and can have an impact on nursing care practices. International literature has identified discriminating practices amongst healthcare professionals including nurses. There is limited research examining primary care nurses’ attitudes to caring for people with hepatitis C. Methods. A cross‐sectional postal census survey of 981 nurses working in one health board region in the Republic of Ireland was conducted during the period March 2006 to June 2006. Results. A response rate of 57·1% ( n = 560) was achieved. Exploratory factor analysis of an attitude scale identified three latent variables: ‘infection control behaviour’, ‘caring’ and ‘fear’. Attitudes were generally positive towards caring for persons with hepatitis C; however, 51·7% of respondents would use additional infection control precautions if caring for someone with known hepatitis C. Younger nurses and those educated to degree level and above held significantly more positive attitudes to caring. Nurses agreed that they have a central role in managing and treating people with hepatitis C; however, many agreed that they lack the knowledge and skills to care for persons with hepatitis C. Conclusions. Negative attitudes can result in discriminatory experiences for persons with hepatitis C or at risk. Nurses require ongoing education on hepatitis C to improve knowledge, to limit concerns and ensure adherence to infection control guidelines.