A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE REGARDING NUTRITIONAL MANAGEMENT OF TYPE-2 DIABETES MELLITUS

Abstract

Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a prevalent chronic metabolic disease in the world and proper nutritional management of the disease becomes important to prevent the complications and better patient outcome. Nurses are considered to be important educators of diabetics about healthy eating, lifestyle modification and self-management care. Thus, the importance of having good knowledge for the nutritional management among under graduate nursing students is essential for good patient care. But little qualitative studies have examined students' understanding of the nutrition management of T2DM in the Pakistani context. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of undergraduate students in the field of nursing about the nutrition management of T2DM among them. A qualitative exploratory research design was used for the study. It was done at the Department of Nursing, Peace College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences at Dow University of Health Sciences. The sampling method was purposive sampling and a total of 25 nursing students, who were undergraduate students, were selected. Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews with the data analyzed using thematic analysis.

Findings indicated that general knowledge about the T2DM was present and that the importance of nutrition care in managing their blood glucose levels and preventing complications was known. Healthy diet, carbohydrate control, balanced meal planning, and lifestyle modification were cited as important diabetes-management components of the participants. The study also revealed that participants considered nurses as key health care providers who play a role in educating the patients and providing nutritional counselling. Several barriers were found which hinder students in their understanding and readiness to work with students who have diabetes; these barriers were limited practical experiences, inadequate detailed nutritional education, workload, and the lack of confidence in counselling diabetic patients.The study found that the basic theoretical knowledge of nutrition in the management of T2DM was found among all undergraduate students of Nursing, but there was a lack of practical counselling skills and clinical preparedness. The study suggests enhancement of the nursing curriculum, practice training, workshops, clinical exposure on the nutritional management of diabetes and patient education. The results can help to reinforce nursing education and enhance future nurses' quality in providing diabetes care.