Sande Jones

Continuous Quality Improvement Project: Decreasing the Potential for the Development in the Inpatient Setting of Drug Resistance by Improving Nursing Practice for HAART Administration

HIV/AIDS patients dissatisfaction with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) medication administration in the inpatient setting was the impetus for a continuous quality improvement (CQI) project. The purpose of the CQI project was to initiate a change in nursing practice for HAART medication administration. The goal of the project was to decrease the potential for development of drug resistance in the inpatient setting related to nonadherence with food requirements for drug administration and to incomplete or missed doses of prescribed HAART. A secondary goal was to increase the provision of patient education on HAART medications by nurses. The interdisciplinary CQI team found that medication administration in the inpatient setting involved more than nurses simply passing meds. Inpatient medication administration was a complex process involving a variety of hospital systems, departments, and traditions, all of which had an impact on patient care. The article describes the CQI methodology that was used for the project and how each step of the project was planned and implemented. Specific problems related to administering HAART in the hospital setting are listed as areas for needed nursing research.

Nursing Practice for HIV/AIDS Fever Care: A Descriptive Study

Nurses often perceive fever in relation to the impact it has on specific patient populations. Fever in HIV/AIDS patients is a common symptom. This descriptive study explored how nurses in AIDS care defined and described fever in HIV/AIDS patients and used nursing interventions for fever management. Seventy-five registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and LPNs employed in AIDS care throughout Florida were surveyed concerning interventions for AIDS-related fever. The study revealed that nurses in AIDS care treat fever by providing patient comfort, initiating nursing interventions for low-grade to moderate fever, and notifying the primary care provider if nursing interventions do not keep the temperature below 100.9 degrees F. The sample provided a variety of nursing interventions to make the patient more comfortable. In addition, the study also revealed a unique perspective for fever care, which influences the practice of nurses in AIDS care and might differentiate nursing practice in AIDS care from other nursing specialties. However, some interventions differed from fever nursing management strategies published by the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Further research needs to explore the efficacy of these interventions.