Care offered to people living with HIV: the social representations of nurses in a Moroccan university hospital

Introduction: The social representations (SRs) of nurses on HIV/AIDS and the care provided to people living with HIV are diverse and different depending on the context. This study aims to understand the SRs of nurses on the disease and on the care provided.

Method: A qualitative study conducted in 2018 with 50 nurses practicing in 11 specialized departments, belonging to seven Moroccan university hospitals.

Results: The SRs of nurses recalled the beginnings of the emergence of HIV/AIDS with certain positions taken on the clinical conception of the disease. Prescribed care has been at the heart of professional representations, with an interest nevertheless little applied to relational care. Various behaviors and emotions were also represented around the caregiver-patient relationship.

Discussion: In the health care setting, SRs of HIV/AIDS and the care provided give rise to models of care and relationships that go beyond technical knowledge and skills.

Conclusion: Actions of individual commitment relating to professional and multidisciplinary meetings can change these representations and support nurses in the integration of sensitivity care, relating to positive affects toward these patients.