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Overview: AIDS/HIV nurses deliver educational,
therapeutic and supportive interventions for those
infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. They deal
with the physical and psycho-social aspects of the
disease, helping patients minimize their pain and
maximize their independence. HIV/AIDS nurses also advocate
for patients and teach techniques to help prevent the spread
of the disease.
Typical venues: hospitals, hospices,
long-term care facilities, community clinics, health departments
Education: active RN licensure
Certification available through:
Professional Testing Corporation
(PTC)
1350 Broadway-17th Floor
New York, New York 10018
(212) 356-0660
www.ptcny.com
sponsored by the
HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification
Board
www.hancb.org
Job outlook: Nursing as a whole will be one of the
top 10 fastest growing professions in the U.S. in the next
decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Opportunities: increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS
as well as increasing lifespan of infected patients means
increased opportunities for HIV/AIDS nurses
Challenges: dealing with society’s negative
attitude toward HIV/AIDS patients; dealing with
large number of patients’ deaths
For more information:
Association of Nurses in
AIDS Care
11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 8
Reston, VA 20190-5202
Phone (800) 260-6780
Fax (703) 354-4390
www.anacnet.org
Related features on the NurseWeek Web site:
Demographic
Shift: HIV/AIDS infection rates surge
among gay minority men
http://www.nurseweek.com/features/
00-03/hivca.html
Mail
order and online courses
http://www.nurseweek.com/career/
homstudy.html
Salary Wizard
(http://www.nurseweek.com/salary/
index.html)
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