ADDRESSING HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS ACQUIRED-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-SYNDROME IN ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSING-EDUCATION

Despite a number of professional meetings and policy statements recomm ending that advanced practice nurses be prepared to meet society's nee ds, relatively few graduate programs in nursing offer specific content related to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic. The need for advanced preparation in this area is highlighted by the fact that information about HIV infection and treatment of persons with HIV dise ase shifts rapidly, that more than 500,000 Americans have been diagnos ed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and that the diseas e is the leading cause of death in the United States in persons 25 to 44 years old. Recommendations for how HIV/AIDS content can be incorpor ated into advanced-level education are presented. (Index words: Advanc ed practice education; Advanced practice nurses; Curriculum; Human imm unodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Subspecialty) J Prof Nurs 13:294-299, 1997. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Comp any.