The Effects of Experiential HIV Testing to Improve Knowledge and Practice, and Reduce Stigma Toward HIV of Emergency Department Nurses
Phase: NA
Conditions: Hiv, HIV Testing
Sponsor: National Taiwan University

protocol 
 
April, 20, 2023 
 
1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Effects of Experiential HIV Testing to Improve 
HIV related Knowledge, and Reduce Stigma Toward 
HIV of Emergency Department Nurses 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

protocol 
 
April, 20, 2023 
 
2 
 
 
 
 
 
Title 
The Effects of Experiential HIV Testing to Improve HIV 
related Knowledge, and Reduce Stigma Toward HIV of 
Emergency Department Nurses 
Methodology 
Randomized controlled trial 
Duration of Study 
estimated duration for main protocol (from starting of 
screening to the last subject processed and finishing the 
study) is approximately 4 months. 
Location of Study 
single-center (National Taiwan University Hospital, 
Taipei, Taiwan) 
Objective 
improving their knowledge about HIV screening and 
reducing their attitudes towards HIV stigma 
Number of Subjects 
74 completed data. 
Main inclusion 
criteria 
1. Age≥20 
2. clinical nurse working in emergency department 
3. never received an HIV screening due to non-
occupational HIV exposure risk. 
4. no working experience associated with HIV/AIDS, 
for example, be a nurse working in an infection 
department or as a HIV case manager. 
measurement 
materials 
The score as measured by  
(1) HIV screening knowledge scale(self-
administered) :28 items 
(2) Health Care Provider HIV/AIDS Stigma Scale 
(translated to Mandarin): 30 items 
Statistical 
Methodology 
the effects of the intervention between the two group 
were analyzed by Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). 

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April, 20, 2023 
 
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Background: 
In 
emergency 
department 
(ED) 
of 
hospital, 
human 
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and/or confirming the patient's HIV status 
to provide corresponding instructions and answering caregiver’s inquiries are 
conducted frequently due to triage and disease diagnosis process. However, 
insufficient clinical education and training on HIV-related issues, as well as limited 
care experience to HIV patients, may lead to fear and HIV-related stigma attitudes 
among nurses of ED. 
 
Objectives: The purpose of this research was to develop an intervention measure 
of "experiential HIV testing". During the protocol, the nurses of ED directly 
participated in the complete process of HIV anonymous screening as the role of 
people who need to be screened, and the consultation contents of HIV testing were 
provided to them, to verify the following effects: (1) Improving their knowledge 
about HIV screening (2) Reducing their attitudes towards HIV stigma. 
 
Methods: This study was an experimental research design between November 
2022 and February 2023 in an ED of a medical center in Northern Taiwan. The 
participants were randomly assigned into experimental group and control group. 
The recruitment criteria included: those who were nurses in ED currently and were 
performing nursing practices, had no care experiences for AIDS/HIV patients, and 
had not received an HIV screening due to "non-occupational exposure risk”. After 
signing the written consent form, the pre-test written questionnaires, demographic 
data sheet, HIV screening knowledge scale, and Health Care Provider HIV/AIDS 
Stigma Scale (HPASS), were provided to the participants and the data were 
collected. The experimental group received the intervention of " experiential HIV 
testing ", which was to give HIV testing kit for self-testing and guide the screening 
operation process, and to use text teaching materials to deliver HIV pre-test 
information and post-test consultation services. The subjective opinions of the 
intervention were also collected of the experimental group. The time of ntervention 
was about 25-30 minutes; while the control group only accepted the text teaching 
materials. All post-test were conducted after four weeks for both groups. The data 
obtained in the study were presented using descriptive statistics, and the effects of 
the intervention between the two group were analyzed by Analysis of Covariance 
(ANCOVA). 

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April, 20, 2023 
 
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Outcome: It is expected that the intervention “experiential HIV testing” could 
effectively improve the HIV screening knowledge of nurses of ED, and reduce the 
stigma attitude towards HIV/AIDS through the role transformation and immersive 
reflection. 
 
 

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April, 20, 2023 
 
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Flow Chart of the Study 
Passed the research ethics reviews 
Recruiting participants in the emergency department via poster 
1. signing the written consent form 
2.finishing the pre-test written questionnaires 
3. providing the text teaching materials 
The participants were randomly assigned into 
experimental group and control group 
Control group 
only taking the text teaching 
materials and read it by themselves. 
Experimental group 
1. received the intervention of " experiential 
HIV testing ". 
2. use text teaching materials to deliver HIV 
pre-test information and post-test 
consultation services. 
4 weeks after the 
intervention finished 
Finishing the post-test written questionnaires. 
Compensations 
Received the intervention of “experiential 
HIV testing”. 
Finishing the post-test written questionnaires. 
4 weeks later