Grant: Operating Grant - HIV/AIDS CBR Program - General

The purpose of the proposed research is to implement and evaluate a community-based model of clincial mentorship to develop and increase the capacity of nurses to provide comprehensive HIV care for persons living with HIV (PHAs) in Canada. The study will build on research by the co-principal investigator (Mill) and the Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR) and includes academic partners at 6 post-secondary institutions. In addition to the academic partners, the research team includes the following community partners: the Canadian Association for Nurses in AIDS Care (CANAC), The Canadian AIDS Treatment Information and Exchange (CATIE), the Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR), PHAs and several community organizations. The study will be conducted in 6 Canadian study sites, representing CANAC's 5 regions and will bring together mentorship teams of nurse mentors, PHA mentors, and nurse mentees. A mixed method exporatory evaluation design will be used and interviews, surveys, and logs of discussion boards will be used to collect the data. A community based research approach will guide the study. The research questions are: 1) What changes occur in knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurses who participate in an 18 month mentorship intervention in clinical HIV management and care?; 2) What is the experience of nurse mentors, PHA mentors, and nurse mentees who participate in a mentorship program?; 3) What are the benefits and challenges of participating in a mentorship program from the perspective of nurse mentors, PHA mentors, and nurse mentees?; and 4)What are the key elements of HIV mentorship that engage nurses in knowledge translation and integrating new knowledge into practice? The goal of the study team is to develop integrated knowledge translation strategies to enhance the quality of care and treatment for PHAs. This is congruent with the research priorities of the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative.