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Developing Registered Nurse Competency In Diabetes Care, Elizabeth Ortiz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and purpose: As the cost of health care continues to climb in the United States, hospitals are seeing longer lengths of stay and associated costs resulting from the complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). Registered nurses (RNs) play a critical role in caring for patients with DM. Rapid changes in the care of DM require continuing education on the current trends and the use of evidence-based practices to prevent hypoglycemia as a serious complication of lowering blood glucose levels. This doctoral project assessed the knowledge levels of RNs caring for patients with DM in the hospital setting.

Methods: Eighty-five RNs …