Discussion
Our participants shared many barriers that prevented them from
participating in policy development and implementation, but
also mentioned facilitators that promoted involvement. Nurses
are the primary link between the various governance systems and
the clinical setting and a vital link to ensure effective HIV and
AIDS care (Milstead 2004). A strategy that nurses utilize to facilitate
involvement in HIV and AIDS policy formulation includes
the policy feedback loop. The policy feedback loop gives nurses
‘hands on’ experience on how to communicate policy problems
or gaps to managers and how to lobby policymakers to ensure
that this feedback is used to adapt policies and contribute to
Nurses’ engagement in AIDS policy development 55
© 2012 The Authors. International Nursing Review © 2012 International Council of Nurses
balancing the top-down policy approach (Heywood 2002;
Shamian et al. 2006). Literature support partnership approaches
to assist and support bottom-up approaches to policy development.
It allows access to information and resources and translates
research rapidly into policy and practice (Pawinski & Lalloo
2006).
Participants in our study described various barriers to nurse
participation in policy development including individual and
organizational capacities. The dual pandemic of HIV and tuberculosis
(TB) coincides with a health workforce shortage necessitate
the urgent need for nurses to be involved in HIV policy
development and specific policies to protect healthcare workers
(WHO-ILO-UNAIDS 2010).
There are different approaches that can be used to formulate
HIV and AIDS policies: the top-down, bottom-up or the
in-between approach (WHO 2006). In all our participating
countries the top-down approach was used with regard to policy
formulation and implementation. Generally, participants did not
participate in policy development. They were mainly involved
in the implementation of policies. Local needs were often overlooked
(Ngulube 2005). HIV policies were developed at the
national level of government and implementation was often very
methodical allowing limited feedback from the frontline nurses
who were expected to implement the practices associated with
the policy. It is well known that within a top-down approach it is
common for policies to be implemented and evaluated by government
according to specific objectives as set out during the
formulation of the policy (Cloete et al. 2000). Nurses experienced
the top-down approach as negative because they were
absent from the policy table and merely seen as policy implementers.
Involvement of nurses at all levels of policy formulation
can be of value to ensure the sustainability of HIV and AIDS
workplace policy (Zellnick & O’Donnell 2005). Our participants
believed that they were primarily implementing policies that
were developed at the national level. This phenomenon has been
described previously by several authors (Marchal et al. 2005;
UNAIDS 2003; WHO 2006). Nurses’ involvement in the HIV
policy process has largely been relegated to that of implementation
despite being the largest group of frontline workers with
a 24/7 presence in the global healthcare delivery system. A ‘topdown’
approach to nurses’ involvement in HIV policy is largely a
function of limited opportunities for access and contributions
to the health policy process. Greater involvement of nurses is
required to influence policy decisions for better and improved
care to persons with HIV and AIDS. Nurses are at the forefront of
dealing with the HIV epidemic and HIV has had a dramatic
impact on the nursing profession.
Our participants experienced a lack of communication with
management level staff. Olivier & Dykeman (2003) recommend
that lobbying with managers is especially important to
address
program deficiencies and policy gaps. Frontline nurses are well
situated to identify policy gaps during the implementation of
HIV and AIDS policies and can suggest remedial steps, which can
contribute to a bottom-up policy approach. Implementing, practicing
and expanding the bottom-up approach to develop HIV
workplace policies will eventually balance the top-down policy
formulation approach. The performance of districts/regions/
provinces bottom-up actions regarding the formulation and
implementation of HIV and AIDS policies will in the long run
have a ripple effect, and thus improve the image of the districts
and of frontline nurses (Mechanic & Reinhard 2002). Gilson
et al. (2006) explored the role of policy in promoting equity in
healthcare services and highlighted that frontline nurses seldom
provided feedback or advice to higher authorities or had the
opportunity to be involved in policy development. Their main
role was to ensure compliance and implementation of these policies.
If they did not comply, they were perceived as difficult and
a misfit in the health institution.
Gilson and colleagues (2006) argued that a lack