The continuing education needs of diabetes nurse educators

The major caveat regarding this study is the low return rate. We suspect that this is due to the extensive nature of this lengthy questionnaire. A shorter questionnaire sent at the same time to another sample drawn from the same population produced a return rate higher than 50%. However, some benefits were derived from the study. The first is the extensive set of data obtained about both the continuing education needs and the practice patterns of this sample of diabetes nurse educators. (A longer report that includes information about how the nurses spend their time, the types of diabetes education they provide, and the size and scope of the diabetes patient education programs at their institution is available from the first author.) Second, it is reasonable to assume that the nurse educators who took the time to complete this lengthy questionnaire about their continuing education needs and practices are thoughtful consumers of continuing education. Their needs and preferences should be of concern to the individuals and organizations that provide continuing education to diabetes nurse educators. In summary, the nurses in this sample are highly educated and experienced diabetes educators. They indicated a strong desire for obtaining continuing education primarily in behavioral and psychosocial issues, but perceive that they are limited by a lack of financial support and time.