Care of AIDS patients as a source of stress to nursing staff.

A questionnaire was administered to the nursing staff of a large teaching hospital to determine: 1) sources of stress in caring for AIDS patients; 2) perceived sources of stress in being an AIDS patient; and 3) attitudes towards "deserving" various illnesses. Principal components analyses revealed a number of factors related to increased stress, including: general concerns about the care of these patients; specific concerns in crises situations; and concerns regarding the personal/social implications of caring for these individuals. These factors were not related to either prior experience taking care of AIDS patients, or nursing specialty. In addition, persons with AIDS were viewed as "deserving" their illness in much the same way as noncompliant diabetic or renal patients. Potential implications of these findings and suggestions for future research directed towards mitigating these occupational stressors are given.