Nursing and Peer Support Worker Collaboration in Care for Older People Living With HIV in Australia: A Qualitative Interviews and National Roundtable Study

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Older people living with HIV (PLWH) face intersecting challenges of long-term viral infection, age-related conditions, polypharmacy, and fragmented care from unfamiliar specialists, often compounded by stigma and discrimination. Nurses and peer support workers provide essential support for older PLWH navigating these challenges, yet organizational, cultural, and structural factors can impede their effective cross-sector collaboration. Using in-depth interviews and a roundtable discussion with nurses, peer support workers and older PLWH, our study highlights shared strengths and goals of HIV peer support work and nursing practice, reveals perceived barriers to collaboration, and suggests strategies to improve practice together. Thematic analysis revealed four intersecting themes: different lenses; role clarity; health care culture and power relations; and leadership, coordination and trust. Strengthening collaboration in HIV care requires addressing power dynamics and using transparent, co-constructed frameworks to clarify roles and assumptions, ultimately enhancing care teams and networks to provide optimal care for older PLWH.