Integrating HIV/AIDS Education and Clinical Training into a Primary Care Curriculum

Implementation of the Affordable Care Act will increase the number of HIV-infected patients who have access to health care coverage by making private health insurance more affordable and by expanding Medicaid eligibility.  As a result of this expanded access to primary care services, as well as the increased emphasis on HIV testing as a routine part of medical care, there will be a need to increase the workforce capacity of Nurse Practitioners who are educated and trained in HIV/AIDS Primary Care. Currently few NP programs provide adequate curricular content and clinical residency experiences that prepare NP learners to provide comprehensive primary care for HIV-infected patients and populations.

At the end of this presentation learners will be able to: (a)  identify important HIV/AIDS core knowledge that should be provided in a nurse practitioner primary care program  (b) describe a framework for developing HIV/AIDS curriculum  and (c)  discuss specific strategies  for integrating HIV/AIDS content into a primary care curriculum.  Sample curriculum plans and course syllabi will be provided.