A New Learning Approach to Improve Nurses' Knowledge of and Skills in Diabetes Care

Abstract

Background: Patients' knowledge of how to care for their diabetes mellitus (DM) is critically influenced by health education, which is mostly provided by nurses. Therefore, effectively increasing nurses' knowledge of and skills in diabetes care is crucial. The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of the Diabetes Conversation Map™ Program (DCMP) in improving nurses' knowledge of DM care and skills in insulin injection. Method: A quasi-experimental design was adopted that used a pre-test and a posttest. A total of 18 nurses were included in the intervention group, while 19 nurses were in the control group receiving conventional teaching. A structured questionnaire regarding knowledge of and skills in DM care was administered before the program and then one month after. Results: Knowledge of DM and skills in insulin injection improved significantly in the intervention group compared to the control group ( p < .001 vs. p < .01). Conclusion: The DCMP can be used to increase nurses' knowledge of DM and their skills in caring for DM. It leads to more effective learning than conventional teaching. [ J Contin Educ Nurs . 2022;53(2):90–96.]