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Deaf gay men represent a subpopulation of the gay male community at particularly high risk for HIV/AIDS due to numerous barriers including language, stigma, and inequitable access to health services. The participants in this exploratory pilot study (N = 5) struggled with the ongoing threat of HIV infection and the pervasive nature of AIDS-related debilitation, death, and grief Whether HIV infected or not, they described living at the intersection of multiple communities--the deaf gay, and hearing--each characterized by unique communication styles, cultural expectations, and a propensity to marginalize outsiders. Health care providers were perceived as lacking compassion and largely ignorant to the needs of deaf persons, in general, and deaf gay men, in particular. Printed HIV materials were considered culturally inappropriate, incomprehensible, and ineffective. These findings suggest an extraordinary risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes if care is not appropriately designed for this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the importance of the certification in HIV/AIDS nursing. Advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS; Scope of HIV/AIDS nursing practice; Moral and ethical obligation of nurses; Ways in which certification protects the public.

Tackles issues concerning the risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS in deaf gay men. Challenges facing nurses in caring for HIV-positive deaf gay men; Findings of a study on the attitudes of deaf people; Importance of American Sign Language to the prevention of HIV/AIDS.

Grief is a universal human response to loss. While the symptoms of grief are distressing and uncomfortable, they usually diminish over time without therapy. For persons grieving an HIV-related death, however, a variety of unique factors may interfere with the healthy resolution of symptoms. When the grief process becomes complicated, a person may experience serious alterations in physical health and/or disruptions in daily functioning. To assess grief, nurses need to apply interpersonal skills and therapeutic communication techniques in a compassionate manner; currently, no one screening instrument is optimal for evaluating grief in the clinical setting. The person experiencing grief or complicated grief may be referred for support services or counseling, pharmacologic interventions, or cognitive behavioral therapy. This report summarizes evidence from the literature and clinical practice to support recommendations for the practice of nurses caring for persons with HIV-associated grief; recommended strategies are illustrated through an exemplar case study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With nearly 33 million global citizens living with HIV or AIDS, the need for a highly qualified, competent nursing workforce is critical. With the recent increase in global funding to expand access to antiretroviral therapy, there have been considerable efforts to improve the capacity of nurses to initiate and maintain antiretroviral therapy while evaluating its effectiveness, monitoring for side effects, reducing the incidence of drug–drug interactions (including drug interactions related to therapies provided by traditional healers), promoting adherence to therapies, and providing management of symptoms. Therefore, using a participatory action approach, nursing leaders from six sub-Saharan African countries collaborated to develop the essential nursing competencies related to HIV and AIDS. These competencies can help to guide preservice education related to HIV and AIDS, to strengthen in-service or capacity-building programs designed for already qualified nurses, and to guide policy and regulatory reform in the context of task-shifting, task-sharing, and scope of nursing practices. This is an online Supplement to the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Visit www.nursesinaidscarejournal.org for easy navigation. A Supplement Preview was published in the January/February 2011 issue, Volume 22, Number 1. The Supplement Preview and Online Supplement are supported by grant number U92HA07230 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, funded by the President''s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]