Nurses, Pharmacists and Laboratory Technician Training in HIV

This training program is aimed at nurses, pharmacists, allied health personnel and medical laboratory technicians to increase their understanding of HIV infection.

The trainers consist of a team of Australian HIV experts: a pharmacist, a nurse and a laboratory scientist.

Conducted over one day the training program includes:

• Diagnosis of HIV infection and pathogenesis of disease
• Epidemiology of HIV
• Opportunistic Infections
• Antiretroviral therapy for HIV, including prescriptions (according to local guidelines) and post-exposure therapy
• ART Adherence counselling
• Socio-psychological care of HIV patients
• HIV and pregnancy
• Laboratory monitoring of HIV including low cost CD4 and HIV viral load tests
• Quality Management in the laboratory
• Universal precautions

The course consists of interactive lectures in the first half of the program and separate sessions for nurses, pharmacists, allied health and for laboratory technicians in the second half of the program.

• The nurses, pharmacists and allied health staff attend specialised lectures aimed at HIV therapy, medication counselling and clinical care of HIV patients.
• The laboratory staff benefit from discussions relating to laboratory testing and quality management.
• All participants are given the universal precautions lecture which is vitally important in aiding healthcare professionals remain safe in their workplace.
• When possible an interactive session with a local person living with HIV is included, which often sparks much interest among participants and encourages informal questions with someone who is living with the infection within their culture.

During the course each participant is given a manual that includes all presentations and additional information regarding HIV therapy (e.g. dosing and details of the available commercial antiretroviral therapy preparations). Presentations are available electronically to interested participants. Dual language programs are conducted when appropriate.