Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

5-2010

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph. D.

Department

Nursing

Committee Chair

Topp, Robert Vincent

Author's Keywords

Health promotion; Self-efficacy; Condom use; HIV/AIDS

Subject

AIDS (Disease)--Prevention-- Evaluation; Nurses--Attitudes; Safe sex in AIDS prevention; Self-efficacy

Abstract

This dissertation is a descriptive, correlational study that explores how a nurse's personal sexual relationship power, vicarious experience, and other interpersonal and socio-cultural variables are related to her self-efficacy to promote and teach condom use to women to reduce the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. How these variables are related among a specific subset of nurses with lower sexual relationship power is also examined. Self-efficacy theory, specifically portions of Dr. Albert Bandura's work is used to guide this exploration. Chapter 1 introduces the problem of HIV/AIDS in Belize; the role of power, and selected issues surrounding women and HIV/AIDS. Chapter 1 also outlines the particular variables of interest and introduces the theoretical framework for the study. Chapter 2 reviews the relevant literature surrounding the identified variables and identifies current gaps that warrant further investigation. Chapter 3 outlines the methodological strategy employed for data analyses. This chapter also discusses the specific plan to address issues surrounding data collection and missing data. Chapter 4 presents the results of the psychometric analysis of the data collection instruments. All instruments included in this study were found to be psychometrically sound. Quantitative findings as well as the findings of the open-ended question are also examined. Qualitative analysis revealed intrinsic and extrinsic reasons or influences impacting a nurse's decision to promote and teach condom use to women to reduce HIV risk. Significant findings from the quantitative analysis include a positive correlation between vicarious experience promoting and teaching condom use to women to reduce the risk of HIV and a nurse's self-efficacy to do so. While analysis of this same question did not reveal statistical significance in nurses with higher sexual relationship power statistical significance was found in a sub-set of nurses with lower sexual relationship power. Chapter 5 discusses results in the context of Bandura's theoretical framework. Limitations to the study are addressed. Finally, the relationship of the results to issues of clinical practice, future research opportunities and health policy is presented.

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