Investigating the predictors of routine HIV screening behaviors in nurses based on theory of reasoned action

Introduction: Adequate awareness and a positive attitude of nurses about HIV/AIDS can lead to better care and the provision of accurate information to the general public. Misconceptions about HIV/AIDS infection can affect the attitudes of healthcare staff and inappropriately affect the quality of care. Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the factors predicting the routine HIV screening behaviors in nurses based on the theory of reasoned action. Material and methods: This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted on 131 nurses working in Vali-e-Asr hospital in Fasa, Iran. The samples were selected by simple random method. Three 75-item standard questionnaires were also used to collect data, including 15 questions on attitudes, 30 questions on the nurses’ knowledge, and 30 questions on the nurses’ performance. Results and discussion: In total, 30 male (22.9%) and 101 (77.1%) female nurses entered in the study. Also, 65.6% of participants were 18–29 years and 48.9% (64) were working in emergency department. The mean attitude and knowledge were calculated to be 20.69 ± 3.17 points and 20.98 ± 4.78 points, respectively. Also, the mean of performance, behavioral control, intention, and subjective norms were calculated to be 84.63 ± 8.06 points, 24.56 ± 2.29 points, 63.93 ± 6.68 points, and 30.53 ± 3.27 points, respectively. The results of the present study indicated a significant relationship between the work experience with their attitude (P = 0.03) and knowledge (P = 0.001) as well as between the age and performance (P = 0.002). Conclusions: In the present study, the mean score of attitude, knowledge and performance was found to be moderate; thus the educational intervention seems necessary.