Nurses trained to deal with HIV/AIDS patients

Chandigarh : The twenty sixth batch of the “HIV/AIDS and ART Training for Nurses” under the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) in association with the Indian Nursing Council was organized under the guidance of Dr Sandhya Ghai (Principal) and Dr Avinash Kaur Rana (Principal Coordinator).

The training was completed at the National Institute of Nursing Education (NINE), PGIMER, Chandigarh.

A total of 37 nurses from Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh actively participated in this six days’ workshop.

Important topics related to HIV/ AIDS and nurses’ role in HIV/AIDS, stigma and discrimination, epidemiology and disease progression, counselling and testing for HIV, prevention of parent to child transmission (PPTCT), infection control and post exposure prophylaxis (PEP), introduction to antiretroviral therapy (ART), paediatric HIV, symptomatic management of opportunistic infections (OIs), sexually transmitted infections, positive living, palliative care for PLHAs, complementary therapies in HIV and challenges faced by nurses were covered.

The lectures were followed by group works such as role plays, presentations and discussions. During the workshop the participants visited the ART centre, PGIMER, Chandigarh.

Participants from various places evaluated the workshop as a complete learning experience which would help them to deal with HIV positive and AIDS patient confidently.