Actual and perceived knowledge of type 1 diabetes mellitus among school nurses

Background: In general, school nurses are aware that it is important to have knowledge of type 1 diabetes to give adequate care to children with the disease. Many studies assessing diabetes knowledge have found different deficits among nurses. To our knowledge, however, no study has assessed the knowledge of type 1 diabetes among school nurses. Objective: To assess actual and perceived diabetes knowledge among school nurses. Design: Cross-sectional studies. Settings: Seventeen primary care facilities in Warsaw that employed school nurses. Participants: Two hundred and thirty school nurses. Methods: With the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ), we assessed actual diabetes knowledge. With the Self-Assessed Diabetes Knowledge (SADK), we assessed perceived diabetes knowledge. Both the DKQ and SADK assessed seven domains of diabetes knowledge: general diabetes knowledge; insulin and glucagon; insulin pumps; diabetes complications; nutrition; physical activity, stress, and comorbidities; and glycemia measurements. We related DKQ and SADK scores to each other and to sociodemographic and work-related factors. Results: The rate of correct responses in the DKQ was 46.7%, with the lowest rate regarding knowledge of insulin pumps (36.5%), nutrition (37.4%), and insulin and glucagon (37.9%). Actual and perceived diabetes knowledge were moderately positively correlated (rho = 0.18, p = .009). In six of the seven knowledge domains examined, school nurses perceived their diabetes knowledge better compared with their actual knowledge. DKQ scores were higher in nurses with higher education (p=.024), those who had relatives or friends with diabetes (p=.032), and those who had prior diabetes training (p = .050). Interestingly, DKQ scores were higher among nurses with fewer years of experience (rho = - 0.18, p = .011). Conclusions: There is a need for additional diabetes training among nursing students and practicing nurses to provide safe and effective care for children with type 1 diabetes.