Examining the diabetic awareness and the attitudes to diabetic patients of nurses who work at i̇nternal diseases clinics

ENTRY AND AIM: Nurses who play as key role in care of diabetic patients must be aware of diabetes and must be able to apply her awareness on managing diabetic patient so as to supply a successful diabetes management. The aim of this study is to examine the diabetic awareness and the attitudes to diabetic patients of nurses who work at internal diseases clinics. INSTRUMENT AND METHOD: Getting the ethics committee approval, the combined study in which we used both quantitative and qualitative investigation methods is supplied with nurses working at an internal diseases clinincs in a training research hospital. The data is collected by 'survey form' and 'semi structured interview form'. Quantitative data is evaluated in computer environment by descriptive and parametric tests and qualitative data is evaluated by using MAXQDA 2018 qualitative data analyse program. FINDINGS: The level of nurses' diabetic awareness is seen as above average with the point 67,4(+-6,5) out of 100. It is stated that the variables as educational backgrounds and the service they work in affect the nurses' awareness levels but age, gender, professional status, working duration in service, occupational experience, the way of work, taking a course about diabetes doesn't affect the nurses' awareness. When we have a look at nurses' attitudes to diabetic patients, it is detected that for the nurses' roles theme they use educational and treating roles at most, for the nurses' experiences roles they attract attention to patients' psychological characteristics at most and for the nurses' applications towards complications themes they notify at most. It is identified that the rate of nurses' using diabetic care standards is very low and also patitent's incompatibility, patient's and his relatives' negative behaviours, being patient stressful or aggressive and workload decrease nurses' motivation. CONCLUSION: The nurses' diabetic awareness level is found as above average. Nurses use their educational and treating roles for diabetic patient care at most. Patients' incompatibility is the biggest factor reducing nurses' motivations. Although they have sufficient knowledge, the nurses rarely attempt to foot examination and complication hindrance. KEYWORDS: diabetes, awareness, nurse, internal diseases, role, attitude.