The Effect on Theatre Nurses for Rendering Perioperative Care to Patients Living with HIV in a South African Tertiary Hospital. AIDS research and Treatment

Abstract

Purpose. Te study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of how theatre nurses are being afected when they render per ioperative care to patients living with HIV in a South African tertiary hospital. Background. Tere is a scarcity of studies that focus solely on the wellbeing of theatre nurses who render perioperative care to HIV patient due to the ramifcations of the nurses’ fear of contracting HIV. Patients living with HIV often receive substandard care. Objectives. To establish how theatre nurses are being impacted when rendering perioperative care to patient living with HIV, the study followed a qualitative approach using an interpretative phenomenological analysis design. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews from ten theatre nurses who were purposively selected according to specifc criteria. Tey voluntarily agreed to participate. An interpretive phenomenological analysis framework was used to analyse the data. Two main themes emerged from the data analysis, namely, the negative efect on nurses’ wellbeing and the impact that it had on them professionally. Results. Te study revealed that the perioperative care of patients living with HIV had a negative impact on physical, mental, and social wellbeing of theatre nurses. Teir compromised wellbeing in turn led to poor patient care, which put nurses at risk of losing their jobs and even potentially having to face litigation. Te study further indicated that nurses did not receive psychological support from the management which further afected their health and professional performance. Conclusion. Te study proposes that theatre nurses rendering perioperative care to people living with HIV should receive proper training and support; staf shortages should also be addressed. Tere is also an urgent need for appropriate and sufcient protective equipment. Such changes will be essential in order to mitigate the negative impact that their jobs have on their wellbeing and on them in their professional capacity.