CONFRONTING THE STIGMA OF HIV/AIDS IN JAMAICA: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL INQUIRY

Objective. To explore and describe the lived experiences of Jamaican nurses caring for patients diagnosed with AIDS or HIV and give voice to those nurses in articulating their own experiences to gain an understanding of the meaning of their lived experiences. Background. At the beginning of AIDS, no one could have predicted how the epidemic would spread across the world and how many lives would be impacted or changed. Devastating families, communities, and countries, HIV/AIDS is an international epidemic crossing all oceans and all borders. HIV/AIDS patients present complex challenges for health care professionals who are at the forefront of prevention, care, and treatment. An important aspect of health care that has emerged is how nurses will adapt to these challenges and care for these HIV patients. Methods. A qualitative research design following van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological traditions was used to explore the lived experience of Jamaican nurses. Data collection was obtained with the use of an audio-tape recorder to conduct semi-structured face-to-face interviews with selected participants. Results. Four related themes of fear of infectiveness, transitioness, powerlessness and anger, and compassioness emerged through this phenomenological investigation. These themes illuminated the Jamaican nurses experiences caring for patients with HIV/AIDS, and Starck‘s (2003) middle range theory of meaning provided a framework for gaining a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. Conclusion. This research study exposed the challenges Jamaican nurses face when caring for patients with HIV/AIDS in Jamaica and their efforts to find meaning in their duties. The findings of the study highlighted the essence of their experiences by revealing that despite their fear of contracting HIV/AIDS, they displayed compassion in caring for this vulnerable population. Therefore, understanding the depth at which this experience affects health care providers can be fundamental in providing effective and culturally sensitive support to nurses. Grants. non