Diabetes knowledge of nurses providing community care for diabetes patients in Auckland, New Zealand

AimsTo quantify and compare knowledge of diabetes including risk factors for diabetes-related complications among the three main groups of primary health care nurses.MethodsIn a cross-sectional survey of practice, district and specialist nurses (n = 1091) in Auckland, New Zealand, 31% were randomly sampled to complete a self-administered questionnaire and telephone interview, designed to ascertain nurses’ knowledge of diabetes and best practice, in 2006–2008.ResultsAll 287 nurses (response rate 86%) completed the telephone interview and 284 the self-administered questionnaire. Major risk factors identified by nurses were excess body weight for type 2 diabetes (96%) and elevated plasma glucose levels or glycosylated haemoglobin (86%) for diabetes-related complications. In contrast, major cardiovascular risk factors were less well identified, particularly smoking, although by more specialist nurses (43%) than practice (14%) and district (12%) nurses (p = 0.0005). Cardiovascular complications, particularly stroke, were less well known than microvascular complications, and by significantly fewer practice (13%) and district (8%) nurses than specialist nurses (36%, p = 0.002).ConclusionsIn general, nurses had better knowledge of overweight as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus and elevated plasma glucose levels as a risk factor for diabetes-related complications compared with knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors, particularly smoking.