Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of OB/GYN nurses and auxiliary staff in the care of pregnant women living with HIV

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of health care workers caring for HIV-infected pregnant women. A KAP survey was formulated in order to achieve this goal. Obstetric and gynecological (OB/GYN) health care workers (n = 121) in both inpatient and outpatient settings in an academic and an affiliated community-based hospital in a large urban academic medical center in the northeastern United States were surveyed. Findings suggest that KAP requires further improvement among OB/GYN staff, particularly in the areas of prevention of HIV and psychosocial care of patients with HIV. Further research is needed to determine the best strategies to improve clinical practice for pregnant women living with HIV.

Keywords: AIDS; HIV; knowledge; nurses; obstetrics; pregnancy.