title: Knowledge Confidence and Desire for Further Diabetes-Management Education among Nurses and Personal Support Workers in Long-Term Care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetes care in the long-term care (LTC) setting is complicated by increased prevalence of comorbidities, age-related changes in medication tolerance, frailty and limited resources. Registered nurses (RNs), registered practical nurses (RPNs) and personal support workers (PSWs) are responsible for front-line diabetes care; however, there is limited formal diabetes education in this setting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study aimed to assess the knowledge confidence and desire for additional diabetes education among nurses and PSWs in the LTC setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 89 RNs, RPNs and PSWs (Mage=43.6, 94.3% female) in 2 LTC facilities in the Kitchener-Waterloo area who participated in an online survey assessing knowledge and confidence in 6 key areas of diabetes care (nutrition, insulin, oral medications, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia and sick-day management). Interest in further diabetes education was also explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-rated knowledge and confidence were generally moderate to high, ranging from 46% to 79% being moderately to very knowledgeable and from 61% to 74% being moderately to very confident. Knowledge and confidence was highest for nutrition and management of hypo- and hyperglycemia and lower for sick-day management, oral medications and insulin. There were significant differences between clinicians such that PSWs reported less knowledge and confidence than RNs and RPNs on most parameters. Among the whole sample, 85% wanted education about diabetes, and this rate did not vary by occupation. The most commonly reported areas for additional education concerning diabetes were for management of hypo- and hyperglycemia (30% to 31%) and insulin (31%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the findings indicate moderate levels of self-rated knowledge across diabetes care areas; however, most clinicians feel there is room for more diabetes-care education, particularly regarding insulin and management of hypo- and hyperglycemia.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Corita
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.affiliation: Faculty Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Remedy's Rx Pharmacy, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ebsary
authors.affiliation: Williamsburg Pharmacy, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hannay
authors.affiliation: Williamsburg Pharmacy, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hayes-Cardinal
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, McMaster University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: nhuseinmd@bellnet.ca.
authors.forename: Nadira
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Husein
mesh_terms: D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D019468:Disease Management; D004496:Education, Continuing; D004506:Education, Nursing; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology
keywords: diabetes; diabetes education; diabète; enseignement du diabète; infirmiers; long-term care; nurses; personal support workers; préposés aux services de soutien à la personne; soins de longue durée