Urinary incontinence: a survey of knowledge, working practice and training needs of nursing staff in Fife

Urinary incontinence results in substantial morbidity within society and presents a serious public health problem. Improvements in the well being of incontinence sufferers can be achieved by appropriately trained nursing staff. As part of the development of a strategy to tackle the problem of incontinence in Fife, a survey of nursing staff working in the Board's three health care units was carried out. Response rates between 64% and 100% were achieved among the different units. The results of the survey have revealed a number of deficiencies in current nursing practice, with a substantial proportion of nursing staff indicating a desire for more training in aspects of the management of incontinence. Health visitors in particular reported a significant lack of training in the area of childhood enuresis.