Nursing students and the representation of care for people living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Objective: To describe the social representations of nursing students about the care of people living with HIV. Method: A descriptive study with a qualitative approach was carried out with 39 nursing students, whose evocations were processed by EVOC software and analyzed based on the Theory of Social Representations. Results: The term acceptance leads to a visibility of the suffering of living with HIV; The need for family support and the bond that must be established with the professionals appeared and, in contrast, the students bring representational elements about care where fear and prejudice are present. Conclusion: The representations that emerged present two divergent poles. Pointing out the need to prepare students to understand HIV and its implications in the provision of quality care.