Özet:

Objective: This study was designed as a correlative/descriptive research in order to analyze the relationship between Turkish and Danish nursing students’ overall attitudes and willingness to provide care for persons with HIV/AIDS, and present a comparison of their attitudes towards persons with HIV/AIDS. Methods: The study sample consisted of 99 fourth years students in total in 2004-2005, 52 senior nursing students attending to the Nursing School in Turkey and 47 students from the Nursing School in Denmark. Data were collected using the AIDS Attitude Scale (AAS), developed by Bliwise et al. in 1991 with a test-retest coefficient is r= .92 and the internal consistency coefficient α = . 86, and validity and reliability of Turkish adaptation was confirmed by Cimen, Spring, Ozturk and Bektas with a test-retest coefficient r=.82 and the internal consistency coefficient α=.86. The data were analyzed using the Independent groups t-test, the Pearson correlation analysis and Cronbach alpha analysis. Findings: AIDS Attitude Scale average scores (33.1 ± 9.3) of the nursing students in Denmark were found to be lower than those of Turkish students (37.6 ± 11.2) and the difference between the average scores were statistically significant (t=2.126, p=.036). The average score of willingness to provide care for persons with AIDS were higher in Danish students (8.6 ± 1.8) than Turkish students (5.6 ± 1.9), which was considered to be highly significant (t=7.925 p=.000). The average scores of Turkish students for AIDS Attitude Scale and willingness to provide care showed a medium level and negative correlation (r=--56, p=.000); on the other hand, those of Danish students showed a strong and negative correlation (r=-.74, p=.000), both of which were found to statistically highly significant. Conclusion: Nursing students are likely to be in contact with persons/patients from various cultural backgrounds due to increasing cultural mobility. Therefore, lessons about AIDS and sexuality will be included in their curriculum in order to equip nursing students with certain skills to provide care with cultural efficiency, improve their attitudes towards people with AIDS and increase the willingness to provide medical care in Turkey.

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