Date of Award
Winter 12-1997
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Honors College Theses
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Dr. Carol J. Gordon
Second Advisor
Dr. Rogers J. Newman
Third Advisor
Dr. Beverly Wade
Abstract
The primary purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a baccalaureate nursing program on the knowledge and attitudes of United States nursing students towards HIV/AIDS. Mathematics and engineering majors were used as a comparison group and to control the threats to internal validity of history and maturation. Data for this study was obtained using an AIDS Knowledge Scale and an AIDS Attitude Scale in the form of questionnaires. A convenience sample of 103 students comprised of 30 sophomore nursing students, 34 senior nursing students, 16 sophomore Non nursing students and 23 senior non-nursing students was utilized. The sample was described using descriptive statistical measures such as means, frequency distributions, percentages and standard deviation. Inferential procedures such as analysis of variance, t-tests, and correlation were employed to analyze the data relative to the research questions. Data from the questionnaires were coded, entered into a database, and analyzed using SPSSPC. Findings include a significant relationship between knowledge of HIV/ AIDS and attitudes towards individuals with the disease. In addition, nursing students' knowledge of HIV/AIDS increases as they progress in their program of study. There is a significant relationship between a student's major and their knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Although the results of the ANOVA on the AIDS-attitude scale were significant, the LSD post-Hoc tests did not reveal a significant difference in attitudes towards HIV/ AIDS between senior nursing V students and sophomore nursing students. There was a significant difference in attitudes toward HIV/ AIDS between nursing and non-nursing majors. These results support previous findings such as Snowden (1997), that there is a relationship between nursing students' knowledge of HIV/AIDS and their attitudes toward individuals with the disease.
Recommended Citation
Lubandi, Diana R., "A comparative study of nursing and non-nursing majors knowledge and attitudes toward HIV and AIDS at the sophomore and senior level" (1997). Electronic Dissertations and Theses. 75.
https://digitalcommons.subr.edu/dissertations_theses/75