Predictors of limited knowledge in insulin injection techniques among non-specialty nurses in Japan

Appropriate insulin injection techniques are crucial for ensuring therapeutic efficacy and patient safety; however, most routine injections are administered by nonspecialist nursing staff across various clinical settings. Assessing their current knowledge is essential to identify educational needs and prevent injection-related complications. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the knowledge gaps regarding insulin injection techniques among nondiabetes specialty nurses and identify the factors influencing their knowledge.

This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted on a sample of 815 hospital nurses across Japan using stratified sampling between September and December 2022. The questionnaire included a knowledge quiz, and participants whose scores fell within the lower range were classified into the low-scoring group. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with the group.

The lowest correct response rate in the low-scoring group was for the question regarding the name of subcutaneous nodules at the injection site (16.48%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that limited knowledge was significantly associated with the time since self-study of insulin injection techniques (95% confidence interval: 1.039-1.295; p = 0.008), lower interest in injection techniques (95% confidence interval: 0.476-0.706; p < 0.001), and the absence of additional certifications beyond a registered nursing license (95% confidence interval: 0.236-0.645; p < 0.001).

Nurses' knowledge of insulin injection techniques largely depends on individual initiative. Improving knowledge levels, offering organizational learning opportunities, and requiring continued education are necessary to ensure consistent knowledge improvement across the workforce.