Co-infection AIDS/Hepatitis C and the nursing team in a hospital specialized

Abstract

Hepatitis C is an illness that affects about 30% of the people with HIV/aids in the whole world. This work had the objectives of characterize the levels of knowledge, of perception, of related questions, and of security of the nursing professionals about the co-infection aids/hepatitis C, in a southeastern Brazilian hospital specialized in infection disease, during October 2005 a November 2006. This is an exploratory study of qualitative nature, carried out with 14 professionals of nursing who act in the hospital. The professionals were also characterized in relation with their age, sex, time in the profession, and time in the institution, by means of a questionnaire with closed questions. The professionals showed knowledge deficiency in respect of hepatitis C, knowing nothing about transmission forms, and using without criteria, or even not using at all, the protection equipment. The hospital does not offer institutional programmers to educate their employees, although the nursing team knowledge about hepatitis C is precarious. The urgent necessity of qualification and update politics for the nursing assistance will contribute to the improvement of work conditions and the quality of the nursing assistance offered.