HIV Positive Nurses

[JeepDudeRN]

Hello Everyone,

I am an RN student , and I am doing a paper on HIV. I was hoping a few of you, or many, wouldnt mind commenting. Do you know another nurse with HIV? How does it effect staff issues, patient care, etc. Is there an extreme amount of bias, where Nurses with HIV are concerned? Have you witnessed any discrimination? How do hospitals generally feel about HIV positive caregivers? Have you cared for HIV positive patients? How did it make you feel? And please, please, please, if you are going to be rude please do not respond. I am trying to take a fact/opinion based approach, kind of like a poll. I am not interested in one's sexuality or mode of transmission. If anyone feels like commenting, it would be welcomed. Thank you so much in advance!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Most employers and healthcare facilities do not know whether their nurses are HIV-positive because it is illegal to ask that question prior to hiring someone.

I will probably never know if any one of my coworkers is HIV-positive since it is not the type of issue that is freely discussed. Unfortunately, people run the risk of discrimination if they reveal that they are infected with HIV, which is possibly the very reason why HIV-positive nurses keep so quiet about their HIV status.

I was working at a small nursing home one year ago. The ADON (assistant director of nurses) at the nursing home was an openly gay male nurse who revealed that his spouse was HIV-positive. This ADON never mentioned anything about his own HIV status and, honestly, I wouldn't want to know. I don't mind if a coworker has HIV because it is nearly impossible to contract through casual contact.