Exploring SDM in HIV nursing care
Executivesummary
Background
Shareddecisionmaking(SDM)isanimportantpartofpromotingself-managementandempowerment
forpatientswithlong-termhealthconditions.Therehasbeenlittleempiricalresearchonthenature
andpracticeofSDMinHIVcare,inspiteofnationalguidelinespromotingtheapproach.
Research aim
This research project aimed to explore current views and practices amongst UK HIV nurses
regardingSDMinordertoidentifytrainingandsupportneeds.
Methods
This was a mixed-methods study. Part 1 was a qualitative study in which four focus-group
discussions(15participantsintotal)wereheldtoexploreHIVnurses'viewsandpracticesaround
SDM.Thesewerethematical yanalysedandtheresultswereusedtodevelopPart2,anonline
surveythatwassenttoallmembersoftheNationalHIVNursesAssociation(NHIVNA).Thesurvey
soughttoidentifyknowledge,challenges,gapsandtrainingneedsinrelationtoSDM.Thesurvey
received64responsesoutofapossible258,aresponserateof25%.
Results
QualitativedatashowedthatnursesaresupportiveofSDMandstrivetoimplementitineveryday
practice.NursesunderstandSDMasacollaborativeprocessbutonethatmustbenegotiatednot
onlywiththepatientbutalsowiththewiderMDT.Nursesfaceseveralpatient-related,organisational
andhealth-systemchallengesinimplementingSDM.Theonlinesurveyidentifiedaneedformore
trainingonSDM(especial yinsupportingcomplexpatients)andaneedformoreresources/decision
aidstohelpfacilitateSDM.
Conclusions
SDMisanimportantaspectofnursingcareforpeoplelivingwithHIV.Nursesneedmoretraining
andresourcestoimplementSDMeffectively.Inordertodevelopsuchtrainingandresourcesand
tobetterunderstandthemeaningofSDMinHIVcare,thereisaneedforresearchonpatient
perspectivesandexperiencesinthisarea.
2016
www.nhivna.org
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