Abstract:

Education of patients is essential in type 2 diabetes management; nurses are the health providers who spend more time with patients.

Diabetes mellitus commonly referred as diabetes is a chronic growing disease affecting around 415 millions of people around the world in 2015 with the predicted incidence of 642 million by 2040 (IDF, 2015). Diabetes is a group of metabolic symptoms characterised mainly by high blood sugar, which is a consequence of the drop in the secretion of insulin (Type 1 diabetes – T1D), or an inability of the insulin to metabolize blood sugar (Type 2 diabetes – T2D). T2D is found generally in adult around 45 years old and more (Wise, 2014) and may lead to many complications such as kidney damage and failure; cardiovascular disease, poor wound healing, blindness and nerve damage (Klein et al, 2012).

T2D has been classified as the 6th leading cause of death in USA (Evans, 2010) and the 4th leading cause of death in Europe (WHO, 2009). Worldwide, efforts are made to improve the current mode of prevention and treatment of T2D. It has been proved by WHO (2003) that education of patients can improve their health, reduce their hospitalization rate, reduce the complications, and increase life expectancy. Furthermore, appropriate education is the key for metabolic condition which is crucial for effective diabetes management (Iron et al, 2007). Different educational approaches have been designed for people with T2D.

Traditional educational approach based on curative care and assessment of patients ‘self-care performances level was understood to be incomplete to address the needs of patients.

This study was conducted to determine the education that nurses are providing to people with type 2 diabetes in Nicosia General Hospital of Cyprus, and to propose recommendations to improve educational program for better disease control and better care of the patients.

Sociological research was conduct among 50 out of 90 nurses working in Nicosia General Hospital with type 2 diabetes patients. The questionnaire used for the research content 22 questions separated into three groups: demographic characteristic of the sample, diabetes education and self-care techniques, care follow-up and evaluation.

The results showed that self- care techniques were well teached by nurses to the patients and follow-up was performed at home by community nurses. However diabetes’ education illustrate that most of the nurses does not have adequate knowledge about type 2 diabetes, are not aware about the resources available in the hospital for diabetes patients and are still using the traditional diabetes educational approaches.

Therefore, nurses need to update their knowledge on patients’ education of type 2 diabetes and government have to train more nurses specialized in diabetes and organize more educational sessions for health care providers on type 2 diabetes.

Keywords:

Type 2 diabetes, education of patients, Nicosia General Hospital of Cyprus.