Empathy and humanization in nursing is the key to holistic care: an ethical imperative in the comprehensive care of patients with HIV/AIDS.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35383/acc%20cietna.v12i2.1370
Keywords: Empathy; Holistic Nursing; Humanization of Assistance; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Comprehensive Health Care.

Abstract

Nursing care for people living with HIV has evolved significantly since the beginning of the epidemic, shifting from a biomedical approach to a person-centered paradigm. However, although biomedical and pharmacological advances have made HIV a chronic condition that is manageable, barriers related to stigma, discrimination, and dehumanized care still persist, undoubtedly affecting treatment adherence and quality of life.

This essay critically analyzes the integration of empathy and humanization as imperatives and essential components of holistic nursing care for people with HIV. Through a reflection based on the available evidence, it problematizes the tension between the effectiveness of the technical dimension and the human dimension of care, questioning whether clinical competence without empathy is sufficient to achieve optimal health outcomes. It argues that empathy is not an optional attribute but a fundamental ethical requirement that directly influences adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the reduction of internalized stigma, and mental health outcomes. Systemic barriers such as work overload and burnout syndrome are recognized, and finally, strategies are integrated to combine humanization and efficiency in the daily practice of holistic care.

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Author Biographies

María Luisa Flores Arias, University of Guanajuato

Research professor in the Department of Nursing and Obstetrics at the University of Guanajuato. She holds a PhD and Master's degree in Nursing from the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, as well as a specialization in Intensive Care. She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society and the UGTO-CA-96 Healthy Lifestyles and Chronicity academic body. Her research focuses on sexual and reproductive health, contraceptive behaviors in adolescents, and HPV prevention. She has published more than 15 scientific articles and book chapters on these topics. She currently supervises doctoral theses on transcultural obstetric care and adaptation to antiretroviral treatment. She is a member of research ethics committees registered with CONBIOÉTICA and serves as head nurse at the Ministry of Health. She is certified as a full-time nursing professor (2019-2024).

 

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Carlos Francisco Meza García, University of Guanajuato


Full-time professor-researcher in the Department of Nursing and Obstetrics at the León campus of the University of Guanajuato. He holds a PhD and Master's degree in Nursing Sciences from the same institution, and a Bachelor's degree in Nursing and Obstetrics. He has extensive clinical experience at the Bajío Regional High Specialty Hospital since 2012, rotating through various departments. Recognized with a PRODEP profile (2023-2025) and as a member of the National System of Researchers Level I (2022). His line of research focuses on quality of life, human care, chronic kidney disease, and oncology. He has published 11 scientific articles and multiple extensive reports. He directs and advises bachelor's and master's theses. He is a member of the HRAEB research committee and a member of the academic body “Human Care and Global Health.” He previously taught at CONALEP León III (2010-2018).

Mirtha Flor Cervera Vallejos, Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo. Chiclayo, Lambayeque-Perú.

Peruvian, undergraduate and graduate professor at the School of Nursing at the Catholic University of Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, Chiclayo, Peru. Doctor of Nursing Sciences; Master's degree in Sciences with a specialization in Public Health; Management Training and People Management; and Master's degree in Bioethics. I specialize in Nephrology Nursing until 2023, H.NA.A.A. of Essalud. I am a member of the Ethics Committee of the USAT Faculty of Medicine. I am passionate about research with a qualitative approach in Grounded Theory and phenomenology, with expertise in undergraduate and graduate thesis advising at the national and international levels. My line of research is ethics, bioethics, and anthropology of care, including comprehensive care for nephrology patients in their technological context. I am an internationally recognized author and host international research stays.

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Published
2025-11-28
How to Cite
Cárdenas Vargas, A., Flores Arias, M. L., Meza García, C. F., & Cervera Vallejos, M. F. (2025). Empathy and humanization in nursing is the key to holistic care: an ethical imperative in the comprehensive care of patients with HIV/AIDS. ACC CIETNA: Revista De La Escuela De Enfermería, 12(2), 1370. https://doi.org/10.35383/acc cietna.v12i2.1370
Issue
Vol. 12 No. 2 (2025): Acc Cietna: para el cuidado de la salud Vol. 12. N° 2 (Dic 2025)
Section
ENSAYOS

Copyright (c) 2025 Alfonso Cárdenas Vargas, María Luisa Flores Arias, Carlos Francisco Meza García, Mirtha Flor Cervera Vallejos

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Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

Los artículos publicados por la revista científica "Acc Cietna: para el cuidado de la salud" de la Escuela de Enfermería de la Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, Chiclayo, Perú están sujetos a una licencia internacional Creative Commons Attribution  CC BY 4.0.