ANA Position Statement - Approved 4/3/92
The American Nurses Association (ANA) supports comprehensive
education regarding AIDS/HIV infection for all nursing students. Nursing
curriculum should include AIDS/HIV infection content including patient
treatment, transmission, mechanisms for protection while delivering care
to persons with AIDS/HIV infection and Hepatitis B (HBV) infection,
instruction in universal precautions and occupational health and safety
issues. ANA believes that the HBV vaccine should be a required component
of each nursing student's pre-clinical evaluation and that schools of
nursing should demonstrate 1) the availability of a post-exposure
program for students who sustain exposures to AIDS/HIV and HBV infection
in the clinical setting and 2) the mechanism for students to have
access to healthcare services while enrolled. Schools of nursing should
develop a mechanism for disability coverage for students who contract
HIV or HBV infection through exposure in the clinical setting. Finally,
nursing students should be assured clinical setting protections
consistent with those of employees covered under the Occupational Health
and Safety Act.
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