A Half-Day Training Workshop for Nurse Practitioners to Improve Their Knowledge of Insulin and Inpatient Diabetes Management

Nurse practitioners (NPs) nowadays often have primary responsibility for diabetes management in hospitals. Evaluation of the insulin knowledge of NPs is especially important. A half-day workshop was designed and delivered by two senior endocrinologists. NPs from general adult ward units were invited to attend. Participants completed a 20-item multiplechoice questionnaire before and after the workshop to evaluate their erudition of insulin nomenclature, characteristics and clinical use in hospitalized patients. Their scores before and after the workshop and among subgroups categorized by work location and experience were analyzed. Seventy-seven NPs attended the workshop and completed the questionnaire. Their median scores were 56 and 88 before and after the workshop, respectively (p ＜ 0.001). The pre-test score differed according to work location (medical, surgical or obstetric ward), but not by work experience. Their learning sources were mainly educational presentations. Instruction in insulin formulations and inpatient glycemic control is required for NPs working in all departments. Attendance at a half-day workshop can increase the knowledge of insulin of NPs which may serve to improve inpatient diabetes management.