Since 1985, Helena Mäkinen has worked in the infectious disease department with patients who needed treatment at the level of specialized hospital care. She started in 2002 as a network nurse at the infectious disease outpatient clinic mainly with HIV patients. Helena's main responsibility is to develop HIV patients' treatment and networking. She mainly focuses on treating the most vulnerable HIV patients. She has independent nurse's appointments also digitally for patients whose situation is stable.
The assessment, implementation guidance and monitoring of PEP medication and patients has been transferred to the responsibility of the HIV nurse.
From spring 2021 she has been actively involved in the management and monitoring of long-term HIV treatment (Long-acting antiretroviral therapy, LA ART). National training of colleagues on long-term HIV treatment together with another colleague has been an important task.
Helena is a founding member (1993) of the Finnish Association for Nurses in HIV/AIDS Care and the chairperson on board of the association.
Helena was given a recognition award as the nurse of Uusimaa 2017 by The Finnish Nurses Association.
In November 2018. The board of the Finnish Nurses Association granted a special qualification title to her; The Clinical Practice Nursing Certification, in HIV Nursing.
Helena has been the writer and editor of HIV Nursing Handbook (HIV-hoitotyön käsikirja) 2007, 2008, 2011 and editor in chief 2017.
Her mission is to share HIV awareness with partners and reduce stigma related to people with HIV.
