Nursing students imaginaries in the face of the uncertainty of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis: a narrative

Abstract

HIV infection attacks the immune system, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of the disease. HIV attacks the white blood cells, weakening the immune system, and this makes it easier to contract diseases such as tuberculosis, other infections, and some cancers. The intention of this narrative is to learn from nursing students what a patient goes through before, during and after receiving the diagnosis of the infection, for this purpose four meetings were planned and executed with different groups of students and different topics of conversation such as; knowledge, pre-diagnosis feelings, post-diagnosis feelings and uncertainty in the diagnosis of HIV, in order to obtain solid and varied information on the central theme. The students state that knowledge before talking about this topic is crucial to be able to imagine the feelings such as fear, anguish and uncertainty that they present in their different stages in order to reach the diagnosis. Likewise, the accompaniment of social and family support networks is essential in the patient's process, as stigma can invade the infected patient and this can lead to unfavorable decisions.