ANA Position Statement
HIV Infection and Nursing Students
ANA Position Statement - Approved 4/03/1992
The American Nurses Association (ANA) supports comprehensive education regarding AIDS/HIV infection for all nursing students. Nursing curriculum should include AIDS/HIV infection content including patient treatment, transmission, mechanisms for protection while delivering care to persons with AIDS/HIV infection and Hepatitis B (HBV) infection, instruction in universal precautions and occupational health and safety issues. ANA believes that the HBV vaccine should be a required component of each nursing student's pre-clinical evaluation and that schools of nursing should demonstrate 1) the availability of a post-exposure program for students who sustain exposures to AIDS/HIV and HBV infection in the clinical setting and 2) the mechanism for students to have access to healthcare services while enrolled. Schools of nursing should develop a mechanism for disability coverage for students who contract HIV or HBV infection through exposure in the clinical setting. Finally, nursing students should be assured clinical setting protections consistent with those of employees covered under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
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