Ibbotson V; Australasian Society for HIV Medicine. Conference.
Annu Conf Australas Soc HIV Med. 1997 Nov 13-16; 9: 152 (poster no. P68).
Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
"To care for others we must know ourselves". Health care workers need to identify their own personal attitudes, beliefs, feelings and values as these may impinge on effective assessment, treatment and care of clients. It is recommended that nurses should have the ability to reflect on their interactions in order to change and improve on their professional practice. This paper identifies some self-awareness issues for health care workers involved in HIV care. These include: fear of contagion; reactions of health care worker's family, friends and colleagues; death and dying; grief and bereavement; countertransference; self analysis and dealing with clients who may be of a similar age. It has been said that working with people with HIV can provoke anxiety, touch deep feelings and challenge deeply rooted attitudes and beliefs. However, this work can also teach us more about compassion, courage, life, death and the human spirit.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Attitude to Death
- Bereavement
- Communication
- Culture
- Death
- Empathy
- Family
- Fear
- Grief
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Health Personnel
- Health Services Needs and Demand
- Humans
Other ID:
UI: 102226397
From Meeting Abstracts