The origin of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a debate lasting for the period of the illness. Although believed to have originated from the developed nations, its spread across the world was rapid. Whatever its origin, the impact of the HIV and AIDS pandemic cannot be denied. Since officially diagnosed in July 1981, among young gay men in New York and California, and was initially branded as “gay cancer” or as Kaposi’s sarcoma, it has spread copiously across the globe. The patients presented with fevers, flu-like symptoms, and pneumonia called Pneumocystis. This set of symptoms was later called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a term coined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1982 (Cichoki, 2007). Nurses have been supportive of the patients infected with HIV. For instance, in New York state, professional nurses, are responsible for “diagnosing and treating human responses to actual or potential health problems through such services as case finding, health teaching, health counseling and provision of care supportive to or restorative of life and well-being…”(SED, 1995). They have studied and researched the role of the professional nurse in the HIV epidemic. Further, nurses have been involved in policy formulation and in education as well as direct care in matters concerning HIV and AIDS. Since its recognition in the Northern Hemisphere in the 1980s, persons infected with HIV have been progressively increased in numbers as their lifespan increases. This increase in lifespan due to improved clinical management of the infection over the years with Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) has changed the landscape of the infection from acute to chronic disease. For many countries, this state of chronicity is still, exceptional, and even in Canada, some argue that it is not a chronic disease yet, due to the complexity, stigma, and early death. Antiretroviral drugs, which are essential to HIV care and generally available in developed countries, offer little hope in the developing world where most people with HIV are desperately poor with little or no access to the health care needed to administer and monitor AIDS drugs. As part of this complexity and scarce resources, many countries continue to struggle with access to care – in this context; nursing has a voice to promote health equity.
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There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the issue of whether HIV/AIDS qualifies as a chronic disease, with part of the reason being the character of the disease. Unlike most other diseases, what makes HIV/ AIDS different is the fact that it drastically increases the body’s vulnerability to numerous other diseases by weakening the immune system and that it remains a highly stigmatized disease. HIV/AIDS does not cause the degradation of the body, which is characteristic of its sufferers. Therefore, some people look at the disease from the impact perspective and thus form the opinion that it does not qualify as a chronic disease, but as Foucault (1982) notes, it’s all about one’s thoughts as they drive behaviors and perceptions. However, HIV/AIDS has other attributes such as its persistence, its long-term effects on the sufferer’s body, and the fact that it has no cure, thus qualifying it as a chronic disease.
Associated with the transformation of HIV into Chronic disease comes specialized care, which is an essential attribute that most qualified nurses possess. Patients under chronic care require holistic care, which means that their care providers, who in most cases are nurses, have to focus on the physical, psychological, emotional, and at times spiritual health of such patients. Nurses bear the burden of ensuring they make proactive decisions with their patients while maintaining their patients’ freedom to accept or decline treatment and maintaining the patients’ dignity, respect, and professionalism.
Some attributes from the traditional form of nursing practice apply in modern nursing practice and make important contributions to chronic care. For instance, the combination of professionalism and personal characteristics, such as multi-tasking, makes nursing a valuable part with regard to nursing care as a whole.
Historically, nursing was more of social responsibility than a profession (Judd, 2009). In most societies across the world, the responsibility of caring for the sick in the community feel on the family and the entire society. For instance, the Catholic Church is one of the oldest churches known for its healthcare services to the community (Judd, 2009). This percep
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