The impact of a diabetes nurse educator on nurses' knowledge of diabetes and nursing interventions in a home care setting.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to compare nurses' knowledge of diabetes and nursing interventions in a home health care agency (HHCA) that employed a diabetes nurse educator (DNE) and an agency that did not employ a DNE. Nurse knowledge of diabetes mellitus was measured using the Diabetes Basic Knowledge Test (DBKT). Nursing care interventions for patients with diabetes were measured using a researcher-developed tool, the Nursing Care Intervention Tool (NCIT). The data analysis showed that the nurses in the agency with the diabetes nurse educator were significantly more knowledgeable about diabetes. The data also showed that the nurses in the HHCA with a diabetes nurse educator provided a significantly higher standard of patient care than the nurses in the agency without a diabetes nurse educator.