AIDS Care Nurse

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AIDS Care Nurse

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AIDS Care Nurse
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is a disease that attacks the cells in the body’s immune system, rendering them useless for fighting infections and illnesses. AIDS Care Nurses typically administer medications, act as patient advocates, and educate patients and communities.

What Is an AIDS Care Nurse?

As their title suggests, AIDS care nurses care for patients suffering from all different stages of HIV and AIDS. They act not only as caregivers but also as educators and patient advocates.

Before you consider working in this field, it’s important to discard any preconceived notions surrounding this disease. Due to the nature of the work, it takes a special sort of person to become an AIDS care nurse. Along with basic nursing skills and excellent communication skills, you should also be a sincerely compassionate and non-judgemental person.

During your career, you will be working with all types of patients of all ages, genders, races, and classes. For example, one moment, you may be treating a patient that contracted this disease from sharing hypodermic needles, and the next, you may be treating a patient that contracted it from her husband. You must also be prepared to treat infants and young children who contracted the disease from their mothers during childbirth.

What Do Aids Care Nurses Do?

AIDS care nurses step into many roles during their careers.

First and foremost, they act as caregivers and medical professionals. They monitor patients and keep track of any changes in a patient’s health, for instance. This typically involves performing a thorough physical examination as well as collecting blood samples. AIDS care nurses will also usually assist physicians during procedures and administer medications designed to help keep the virus at bay.

One of the most effective treatments for HIV and AIDS is highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART. This treatment consists of a veritable cocktail of potent antiretroviral drugs. Unfortunately, while very effective, HAART treatments also have several downsides that AIDS doctors and nurses must address. These drugs can cause several very uncomfortable side effects, including severe nausea, unusual weight gain, hyperglycemia, and liver toxicity. Because of this, some patients may choose to skip doses. Not only can this cause HIV to regain control of a patient’s body, but it can also even create resistant strains of the virus that are much more difficult to treat.

As an AIDS care nurse, you will often need to address problems patients have with their medications. For instance, you might offer tips to help manage side effects, and you may also need to help patients develop a dosing schedule.

Since AIDS weakens a patient’s immune system, they are much more susceptible to contracting other infections, known as opportunistic infections. While many of these infections might be uncomfortable yet harmless to individuals with healthy immune systems, they can cause serious complications or even death in an AIDS patient. As an AIDS care nurse, you will often find yourself treating these secondary infections, such as pneumonia, meningitis, tuberculosis, and even the common cold.

AIDS care nurses also act as educators as well. They are often faced with teaching both patients and their loved ones about the disease and how to keep themselves and others safe. Some AIDS care nurses may even speak out in schools and communities. During these campaigns, AIDS nurses often teach people exactly what HIV and AIDS are and how to protect themselves.

Emotional maturity is also a must if you’re looking to become an AIDS care nurse. Although treatments for AIDS today are considered superior to those 25 years ago, there is still no cure for this disease. Therefore, you must be able to deal with the loss of a patient in a healthy manner. If death bothers you immensely, perhaps becoming an AIDS care nurse isn’t the best choice for you.

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Where Do Aids Care Nurses Work?

Hospitals, clinics, and specialists’ offices are often the most likely facilities that employ AIDS care nurses. However, these nurses can also find employment in community health centers, assisted living facilities, home care agencies, and hospice care centers. Some organizations also have paid and volunteer openings for AIDS care nurses and similar medical professionals that wish to travel to developing countries, where this virus is much more common.

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