Human Immunodeficiency Virus & Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Patient Care
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Patient Care
HIV and AIDs is a serious disease and affects a significant number of the population. What is more important is the fact that it does not just affect one part of population, rather it is a disease that affects the entire population without discrimination; affecting both young and old. One of the most contentious topic is the fact that, it also affects the health care providers as they treat patients. One of the main issues discussed in this paper, relates to the patients disclosing their diagnosis status to the nurses (Massachusetts Nurses Association, 2017). It is important to note that, as a patient, one if obligated to tell the nurse all the information that they need to make sound decisions. As such, withholding such information from the nurses, means that the latter may make life threatening decisions, thereby endangering the life of the patient and others. This is important information that a patient should not hold back as the records will indicate the same.
There are those incidences where the nurse is the one that is infected. In this case, the question is, if the patients have the right to know that the nurse attending to them is HIV positive. There is no law that requires the nurse to disclose the status of their health when it comes to the HIV status, unless the nurse in question feels that they may compromise the health of the patient. Otherwise they are not required to disclose their HIV status to the patient.
‘While the MNA recognizes the right of patients to be free from identified risks of infection, it also recognizes the rights of HIV positive health care providers to continue practice under the following conditions...