A Summer Camp Experience for Children with AIDS

Price (includes one year of access and CE):  US$8 Course Code: 7SENNF-PRV-09-ddn13s17 CE: 1.00 Hours. Post Test Score Required for Successful Completion: 80%

Course Overview:

Children with HIV/AIDS may exhibit failure to thrive, developmental delays, and, in some cases, cognitive impairments. This scenario takes place in a summer camp for children who have chronic or life-threatening illnesses. It considers the role of the camp nurse as she interacts with camp staff, who are acting as caregivers, and with three campers, each of whom is dealing with a different issue related to his or her illness. Doug, who also has cerebral palsy and learning impairments, has been told that his HIV status is a secret not to be discussed with anyone outside his immediate family. Katrina, who has missed much school because of chronic pulmonary problems, has been told by her family that she has cancer because they do not want to disclose her HIV status to her. Abby, who has just learned that she is HIV positive after the death of her mother from AIDS, has been acting out and refuses to take any medication. After educating camp staff about HIV/AIDS, the camp nurse develops a therapeutic relationship with each of the three campers, assesses their needs and concerns, and intervenes appropriately.

Course Objectives:

After completion of this learning activity, the learner will be able to:

• describe the common mental, physical, and developmental effects that growing up with HIV/AIDS can have on a child.
• describe the partnership triad among the camp nurse, the counselor, and the camper.
• apply the elements of human caring to the concept that a child with HIV/AIDS is a person who has value, deserves respect, has the right to self-determination and maximum independence, has capacity for growth and development, and has the ability for meaningful communication.
• identify nursing interventions that can be implemented by the camp nurse to best provide children with HIV/AIDS a safe, supportive, and protective camping experience.
• state the importance of the camp nurse's role in the education of all camp staff regarding the transmission of HIV/AIDS, supporting the child with HIV/AIDS, and ensuring a safe environment.

This courseware was made possible in part by grant number R43 NR04738-03 from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors.

Copyright© 2007 by HealthSoft, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

HealthSoft, Inc. is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the New York State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

It has been assigned code 7SENNF-PRV-09.

This course is updated annually. Expiration date: 5/1/11

The faculty and planners of this course have no vested interests to disclose.

This course has received no commercial support.