Improving Prediabetes Screenings at Rural Missouri County Health Departments

Abstract

With prediabetes criteria expanding in recent years, nurses offering prediabetes screenings require updates to stay abreast of current clinical guidelines. This study looked to improve rural Missouri health department nurses' understanding of prediabetes, improve the identification of prediabetes at participating health departments, and educate the nurses on existing prediabetes guidelines. A convenience sample of twenty-two nurses from seven rural Missouri health departments participated. Nurses completed a demographic questionnaire and a prediabetes knowledge pre-test prior to the intervention. Seven to eight weeks post-intervention, the health department nurses completed the prediabetes post-tests. A single live education session was conducted at each health department. Data from the pre- and post-tests was reviewed within three result categories. The overall, laboratory nursing knowledge, and general nursing knowledge divisions each showed statistically significant improvement with a p < 0.05. This study's post-test improvement in prediabetes knowledge replicates the usefulness of a simple, low cost educational update. Nurses improved the identification of prediabetes laboratory values on post-test data and showed an increase in overall prediabetes knowledge. A single and simple continuing education program is a useful tool for rural health nurses.

Keywords: Continuing education; Prediabetes; Rural health.