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This paper reports the findings of a study which examines the relationship between the use of an educational intervention with nurses from several Asian countries and changes in knowledge, attitudes and willingness to care for patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). A pre-test and post-test questionnaire was used to collect the data. The results indicate, that whilst there was an improvement in knowledge following the educational intervention, there is a need for further improvement in the knowledge levels of the nurses. The method of contracting the virus is less influential in shaping students' attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS. Fear of contagion is evident; this increases when more invasive clinical procedures are being carried out. What is also evident is that multiple levels of infection control protocols are used with patients. Fear of contagion is also apparent in the participants' willingness to work with colleagues and patients with HIV/AIDS. While the participants stated that they were more willing to work with colleagues and patients with HIV/AIDS following the educational intervention, they said that they would continue to take additional precautions for fear of contracting HIV in the workplace. The conclusion emphasizes that it is important for education about HIV/AIDS to be incorporated within current undergraduate and in-service programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uptake of preventive health programmes seems to be related to people's underlying motivations, attitudes and beliefs about health and illness. Current theories used to account for variance in behaviours by social group (such as the health belief model and locus of control model) explain only some of the variance in these motivations and attitudes, and have not been adequately tested on women from different ethnic minority groups. Health beliefs have important implications for nursing given the role of the nurse in health promotion and patient teaching. This paper identifies and compares the health beliefs of women of Asian origin and white indigenous women living in an inner-London borough, through in-depth semi-structured interviews, and considers the finding in relation to health promotion practices and the role of the nurse. The Asian women rated their health as worse than the white women; this requires further study. Comments and views gathered about the causes of various diseases indicated that it may be unrealistic to fit a person's health beliefs into a distinct model. Beliefs about disease appeared to be culturally sensitive; health education, therefore, must also be culturally sensitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents updates on research and development in advanced nursing as of February 1999. Information on the awarding of the Trevor Clay Memorial Fund to researchers by the British Lung Foundation; Shared care management of patients awaiting coronary artery bypass surgery; Issues related to religion and the donation of organs in Asia.