Abstract
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that targets the cells in the immune
system, which is the body’s defence against illness. The virus weakens the body’s ability to
fight against infections, destroys the white blood cells (CD4 cells), and replicates itself inside
these cells to destroy them, which leads to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
There is a challenge in monitoring patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in primary
healthcare facilities, and patients are lost to follow-up. Some default on treatment, putting them
at risk of developing resistance to treatment and developing AIDS.
The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of
RNs monitoring patients on ART in primary health care (PHC) facilities in Mpumalanga, South
Africa, and to make recommendations for RNs working in PHC facilities to facilitate the
monitoring of patients on ART.
A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design with a phenomenological
approach was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. The population
was purposively sampled, and semi-structured, in-depth, individual interviews were conducted
at a place and time determined by the participants. The data were analysed using Giorgi’s five
steps of data analysis.
The researcher adhered to the following ethical principles: informed consent, privacy and
confidentiality, risks and benefits, and gatekeepers’ permissions. Lincoln and Guba’s
framework was also used to enhance the measures of trustworthiness in this study.
Four themes emerged from the study, namely registered nurses’ experiences monitoring
patients initiated on ARV therapy in PHC facilities, registered nurses’ experiences monitoring
patients on ARV therapy in primary healthcare facilities, registered nurses’ challenges in
monitoring patients on ARV therapy in PHC facilities, and registered nurses as enablers in
monitoring patients on ARV therapy in primary healthcare facilities.
The findings guided the researcher to make recommendations, reflecting the support and
mentoring that nurses require while monitoring patients on ART. Recommendations were also
made for nursing education, nursing practice and nursing research.
Keywords: antiretroviral therapy, monitoring, primary health care, registered nurses.