Diabetes knowledge of nurses in different countries: An integrative review

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify, critically appraise and synthesise evidence of nurses' knowledge of diabetes and identify factors that function as barriers to nurses' acquisition of diabetes knowledge.

Design: An integrative review

Methods: A systematic search was conducted for English-language, peer reviewed publications of any research design via CINAHL, Medline, EMBASE, and Education Research Complete databases from 2004 to 2014. Of 374 articles retrieved, after removal of duplicates and quality appraisal, 25 studies were included in the review and synthesised based on study characteristics, design and findings.

Findings: Studies originated from developed and developing countries and applied a variety of research designs and tools to assess nurses' knowledge of diabetes. Assessed aspects of diabetes care included knowledge of diabetes medications (12 studies), nutrition (7), blood glucose monitoring (7), diabetes complications (6), and pathology, symptoms and diabetes management (9). Factors/barriers affecting nurses' acquisition of diabetes knowledge were identified (11). Overall, findings indicated wide-spread serious and sustained deficiencies in nurses' knowledge of diabetes and diabetes care.

Conclusion: With nurses demonstrating significant and long-standing knowledge deficits in many aspects of diabetes care, strategies are urgently required to overcome the identified barriers to knowledge acquisition.

Keywords: Awareness; Diabetes; Hyperglycaemia; Hypoglycaemia; Information; Insulin; Knowledge; Nurses; Perception.