“Gloves were off”: Australian nurses, HIV and AIDS, 1983–1996

<p>This thesis draws on oral testimony and archival research to examine the response of nurses to HIV and AIDS in Australia, from the first recorded AIDS-related death in 1983 to the introduction of effective treatment—Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART)—in 1996. As they have around the world, nurses played a significant role in responding to Australia’s HIV and AIDS crisis. The thirty nurses whose interviews helped to shape this thesis are from diverse geographic and clinical settings; they represent each state and territory in Australia, rural and urban areas, wards, clinics and community nursing. Together, their stories paint a vivid and nuanced picture of HIV and AIDS nursing, and shed light on underexamined aspects of Australia’s AIDS crisis.</p>