Ghana study explores student nurses’ HIV care experiences

A qualitative descriptive study published in BMC Nursing examines how final-year student nurses in Ghana navigate the emotional and professional challenges of caring for people living with HIV/AIDS during clinical placements. The research, led by Adu Boamah and colleagues, highlights the tension between student fear of occupational exposure and their emerging professional duty to provide compassionate care. By exploring these experiences, the study offers insight into the developmental process that shapes nursing identity in a region where the burden of HIV remains high.

The study was conducted in Ghana, a sub-Saharan African country where clinical exposure to people living with HIV/AIDS is a significant component of nursing education. The researchers aimed to understand how student nurses learn to care for these patients, focusing on the intersection of emotional challenges, perceived risks, stigma, and structural constraints. These factors are known to influence both learning outcomes and the development of professional identity among nursing students.

To gather data, the research team utilized in-depth semi-structured interviews with 12 final-year student nurses who were actively engaged in clinical placements.

The analysis revealed three overarching themes that describe the students’ learning journey. The first theme, ‘Crossing the Divide Between Classroom Learning and Clinical Reality,’ highlights the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.

The second theme, ‘Becoming the Nurse I Ought to Be,’ focuses on the internal negotiation of fear and professional values. However, this fear was gradually balanced by emerging professional values and ethical responsibilities. Direct contact with patients challenged pre-existing stigmas, strengthened empathy, and reinforced the importance of equality, confidentiality, and advocacy in healthcare.

The third theme, ‘Learning Within Imperfect Systems,’ addresses the impact of organizational factors on student learning. The study found that resource constraints, workplace culture, and the quality of clinical mentorship played a crucial role in either facilitating or hindering professional development. Students indicated that confidence in their clinical abilities developed through repeated experience, but this process was often complicated by the limitations of the healthcare systems in which they were training.

The researchers concluded that caring for people living with HIV/AIDS is a formative learning experience that extends beyond the acquisition of biomedical knowledge. Professional learning is shaped by the complex interaction of emotional, ethical, and organizational influences within the clinical environment.

Based on these findings, the authors suggest that nursing education programs and healthcare institutions should focus on creating supportive clinical learning environments. Effective mentorship and adequate infection-prevention resources are identified as key factors in strengthening students’ confidence.

Subject of Research: Student nurses' experiences of caring for people living with HIV/AIDS in Ghana

Article Title: Between fear and professional duty: student nurses’ experiences of caring for people living with HIV/AIDS

Article References: Boamah, A., Dzando, G., Kumi, S. P., Bright, C. E., Boampong, L. O., & Apiribu, F. (2026). Between fear and professional duty: student nurses’ experiences of caring for people living with HIV/AIDS. BMC Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05664-y

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12912-026-05664-y

Keywords: nursing education, HIV/AIDS care, clinical placements, qualitative research, Ghana, student nurses, professional identity, occupational risk, healthcare stigma, clinical mentorship, thematic analysis, BMC Nursing, infection prevention, emotional challenges, sub-Saharan Africa, patient care, nursing students, ethical responsibilities, resource constraints, compassionate care