Nurses experience of applying professional competence and influencing the quality of nursing care in terms of diabetes in an Indian rural hospital - an interview study

Introduction - India is beginning to resemble the western worlds’ way of living and that leads to an increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Due to its very large population India has the world second largest number of people with diabetes; 61, 3 million people. Studies have shown that the awareness of diabetes is poor, especially in rural areas. Aim - To investigate nurses’ experience of applying professional competence in patient education with focus on diabetes type II in an Indian rural hospital. Method – Data was gathered through twelve qualitative interviews. The interviews were tape recorded, transcribed verbatim and then analyzed through content analysis. Result – Three main categories were identified; Acquired competence to meet the patients, Helping the patients manage their disease and Nurses’ ideas for quality improvements regarding diabetes care. Conclusion - This study identified different obstacles that could have a negative effect on the care and treatment of patients with diabetes type II. The nurses had many ideas for quality improvements which could raise the awareness of the disease among patients, improve clinical outcomes and the work environment for the nurses. The nurses are willing to get more education about the disease and implement quality improvements if the resources and equipment are provided by the hospital