以焦點團體探討台灣南部護理人員照顧愛滋病患者的經驗

Using Focus Groups to Analyze Nurses' Experiences of Caring for Patients with HIV/AIDS in Southern Taiwan

本研究旨在探討護理人員照顧愛滋病的經驗，及影響其照顧意願的因素。研究對象含三家衛生署指定愛滋病治療醫院中，28位曾經照為過愛滋病患一年以上之護理人員。本研究採焦點團體研究法，透過團體會談及參與式觀察進行資料收集，再以內容分析法分析會談之資料，並導出質性結論。護理人員顧為愛滋病患之經驗共可分為「從恐慌、害怕到平常心對待」、「害怕在非預期的情況下被感染」、「照顧經驗的不足」、「被其他醫療團隊成員孤立」及「面臨治療團體隊的推託」。影響繼續留守崗位照顧愛滋病患的理由分別為「病人的背景」、「角色模範的帶領」、「機關及行政主管的支持」及「在職教育」。護理人員在照顧愛滋病患時經歷著情緒及工作上的壓力，反而在醫療團隊中招致與愛滋病相同的社會歧視與隔離。研究結果可作為醫院主管規劃在職教育及提供護理人員行政支持等之參考，以促進醫護人員照顧愛滋病患的意願

The purpose of this research was to ascertain nurses' experiences of taking care of HIV/AIDS patients, and to identify their reasons for being willing to care for persons with AIDS. Five tape-recorded focus group interviews were conducted at three hospitals in Taiwan. Twenty-eight nurses from three medical centers in southern Taiwan participated. All of them had more than one year experience of caring for HIV/AIDS patients. The principal themes suggest that nurses' subjective experience of caring for HIV/AIDS patients are “a change from panic and fear, to some relief”, “fear of contagion in unexpected situations”, “limited experience in managing patients' care”, “being marginalized by other medial disciplines”, and “being abandoned by other team members”. Nurses also indicated reasons for being willing to care for HIV/AIDS patients, including “patient's characteristics”, “led by a role model”, “support from institutions”, and “continuing education”. Nurses are still experiencing the emotional stresses of AIDS care that occurred in the early years of the AIDS epidemic. Ironically, nurses encounter the same feelings of being stigmatized and marginalized by their colleagues as did HIV/AIDS patients.