Summary•The need for counselling of patients with HIV‐related diseases has been clearly demonstrated in the literature.•This study aimed to elicit nurses', perception of their role in such counselling.•Nurses did not have a uniform understanding of the term ‘counselling’, viewing it mostly as ‘information‐giving’, however listening skills and allowing the person to deal with their own problems and fears were also central issues.•The doctor was seen as the most important health professional when it comes to counselling of AIDS patients. The nurse is viewed as a ‘number two’, surprisingly perceived as more important than priests, psychologists and social workers, despite being thought of as not being well trained and consequently not having the necessary skills for counselling interventions.•As a result, there was a clear need and wish for more general education on AI