Nurse’s experience of working with HIV-infected people with type 2 diabetes

Abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the largest public health problems internationally today and southern Africa is the part of the world that is most affected. Successful research has led to new improved antiretroviral drugs. Even if these drugs are improved and more successful, they bring along side effects. Research studies have shown that treatment of HIV entails metabolic changes and increases the risk for developing diabetes. This side effect can have a large impact on the patient’s quality of life and the affected patients often have to make lifestyle changes. To be able to develop the care around this group of patients, it is important to understand the complexity of nursing them. The aim with our study is to look into how nurses in Namibia experience caring for patients with HIV who also has type 2 diabetes as a side effect from antiretroviral drugs. Our study is a qualitative study based on interviews with six nurses working at Katutura hospital in Windhoek, Namibia. We did the interviews at Katutura hospital and the interviews were recorded. We transcribed the interviews and used Lundman & Hallgren Granheims (2012) method for analyzing the collected data. The result showed that health education raises awareness and through that, the prevention of HIV increases and the risk of failure for already infected persons is reduced. Overall shall openness be a leading influencer in every aspect around the patient, the nurses, the community and the family’s treatment. The discussion brings up the importance of educating people both in the community and inside the healthcare spectra. It also brings up the importance of openness, both from the patients and nurses.