The AIDS epidemic has spread to rural areas of the United States. Cons
ervative rural communities are facing the challenge of having children
with HIV entering school. School nurses, as the only health care prov
iders in the schools, are in a strong position to facilitate the educa
tion of children with HN and to provide AIDS education to students, fa
culty, and parents. School nurses' knowledge and attitudes about AIDS
and people with AIDS influence their effectiveness in prevention activ
ities and care of HIV-infected children. This study examined the relat
ionship between specific demographic, practice, and cultural variables
and rural school nurses' attitudes about AIDS and homosexuality. Sixt
y-nine school nurses responded to a mailed questionnaire as part of a
larger study of rural nurses. Results indicate attitudes about homosex
uality were related to nurses' homosexual knowledge and religious beli
efs while attitudes about AIDS were related to nurses' willingness to
care for people with AIDS and feeling prepared to do so.