THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG REGISTERED NURSES' COGNITIVE STYLE, ATTITUDES, AND KNOWLEDGE TOWARDS PATIENTS WITH ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (IMMUNE DEFICIENCY).
Contributors: Rutgers University.
Published: 1991
Number of pages: 99
Subjects: Education, Educational Psychology.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Mental Health.
Description: The literature on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has focused on descriptions of the syndrome and the health care needs of AIDS patients. Insufficient attention has been given to the impact of AIDS upon health care workers. There has been limited research done on the attitudes of health care workers caring for AIDS patients, especially the attitudes of nurses. There has not been any definitive research which has encompassed all of the following: cognitive style (locus of control), attitudes towards AIDS, and knowledge of AIDS. As nurses are part of society and subject to its biases, negative attitudes towards patients with AIDS may interfere with the quality of nursing care delivered to these patients.

The relationships among registered nurses' cognitive style, attitudes, and knowledge towards patients with AIDS was investigated. The study consisted of female psychiatric nurses (N = 60) who volunteered to participate in the study.

Each subject completed the Rotter locus of control scale, the knowledge instrument, and read two relatively identical vignettes. One vignette consisted of a homosexual patient with AIDS and the other patient had contracted AIDS as a result of blood transfusions. After reading each vignette, the subjects completed the Prejudicial Evaluation Scale. The subjects received the two vignettes in a randomized manner and a counterbalanced procedure was used to control for an order effect. The information was collected anonymously to facilitate data collection that represented actual beliefs and to minimize the constraints of the self-report format.

The data were analyzed by a two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. The homosexual patient was evaluated significantly (p $<$.0001) more negatively than the patient who had contracted AIDS due to blood transfusions. Consequently, source of AIDS was a significant independent variable. There was no significant effect of locus of control upon attitudinal assessments of patients with AIDS. The subjects were knowledgeable about AIDS but there was essentially no correlation between knowledge and attitudes.

Implications of the study's findings are discussed in relation to nursing education, nursing service, and future research.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-07, Section: A, page: 2461.

Thesis (ED.D.)--RUTGERS THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY - NEW BRUNSWICK, 1991.

School code: 0190.