ABSTRACT
Introduction: Type 1 diabetes mellitus often occurs in children, highlighting the importance of safety in the school environment for good progress. Children with T1D require specialized medical care, including diabetes nurses. Adolescents with T1D are at risk of poor glycemic control, highlighting the importance of the role of school nurses in managing the disease. Nurses’ knowledge needs to be assessed regularly to prevent complications, and it is essential that they maintain up-to-date and reliable knowledge about diabetes care and management.
Aim: The aim of this research is to investigate and evaluate the level of knowledge of School Nurses regarding the management of children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.
Material – Methods: The sample of this research includes 150 nurses of the field PE 87.02 or PE25 from all over Greece. The information was collected through an anonymous questionnaire, which included questions about demographics and questions related to the management of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus care. The questionnaire was structured in google forms, the duration to answer the questionnaire was one month, more precisely from mid- November 2023 to mid-December 2023. For the analysis of the data, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v26.0) was used. Results: The survey reveals that School Nursing is predominantly female-dominated (91%) with an average age of 33.36 years. 58.6% have a master’s degree, with an average experience of 4.4 years. School Nurses work mainly in primary education (66.6%). In the second part, 89.3% consider insulin deficiency to be the main cause of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. About 69% are concerned about managing students with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in their absence. There are differences in answers depending on educational attainment and further training.
Conclusions: School Nurses who have a Master’s degree in the care and management of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus are superior in knowledge compared to School Nurses who have either attended a seminar or KEDIVIM or have consulted parents. The years of experience do not contribute to a similar degree to the issue of the knowledge of School nurses who are called to take care of children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.
Key words: diabetes mellitus, school nurse, knowledge, students
