How Well Do Nurses Manage Diabetic Foot Care? A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Screening Behaviors in Teaching Hospitals

Aim: To investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and screening behaviors of Iranian nurses regarding DFC management in four teaching hospitals of Tabriz, Iran. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Method: A total of ۲۸۴ nurses participated in this study in ۲۰۲۲. Data were collected using a four-part questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS ۲۲ software via descriptive statistics. Results: The results showed that ۵۵.۶% of the nurses had a good level of knowledge about DFC, although approximately half of them had a history of previous education on this topic. The overall attitudes of ۴۹.۳% of the nurses regarding DFC were positive. However, the total scores of the nurses on diabetic foot screening were very poor, and only ۶% of them had a very good practice. Conclusion: This study revealed a concerning gap between the knowledge and practice of the nurses regarding DFC, as well as a lack of positive attitudes and motivation among them. The study suggested some implications and recommendations for improving the quality and outcomes of DFC in the teaching hospitals of Tabriz, Iran. Public contribution: This study assessed the knowledge, attitude and performance of nurses regarding diabetic foot care and screening, which are essential for preventing and treating diabetic foot ulcers. A random sample of nurses from different teaching hospitals participated in the study after giving informed consent.

کلیدواژه ها:

diabetic foot ulcer ، knowledge ، attitude ، practice ، diabetic foot screening ، risk assessment ، nurses