Nursing Research and HIV Infection: State‐of‐the‐Science

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Purpose: To provide an update of the nursing research literature on HIV infection and to develop an HIV/AIDS database using arcs© computer software.Methods: Nursing research literature from 1986 through 1997 on human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was reviewed. With an emphasis on client‐focused research, 246 studies were entered into the arcs© HIV/AIDS database.Findings: Analysis of over 1,000 citations in the HIV/AIDS nursing research literature over the past decade indicated that 22% (n = 219) of the nursing studies were client‐ or patient‐focused; 29% (n = 292) were risk‐group focused; and 49% (n = 492) were provider‐focused. Of the 246 studies entered into the arcs© HIV/AIDS database, 88 (35.7%) were classified in the psychologic domain, 65 (26.4%) in the physiologic domain, 24 (9.7%) in the behavioral domain, and 25 (10%) in the social domain. In addition, 17 (6.9%) of the studies were classified in the quality of life domain, and 27 (10.9%) in the stage of HIV disease domain. The majority (53%) of the 246 studies (n = 131) were correlational, 86 (35%) were descriptive, and 29 (12%) had experimental or quasi‐experimental designs.Conclusions: Although nursing studies have described some of the problems that affect HIV‐infected people, further research is needed, particularly related to clinical interventions.