Changing students' attitudes to diabetes

In a cross-sectional study, the appropriateness of attitudes of first, second and third year undergraduate nursing students to seven aspects of diabetes care were measured using the revised Diabetes Attitude Scale. The aim of the research was to identify changes in the students' attitudes and to examine the relationship between attitudinal changes and the exposure of students to diabetes-related education. The study found that attitudes of graduating students to five aspects of the care of people with diabetes were significantly more appropriate than those of beginning students. It was concluded that exposure to diabetes education had been the major factor in engendering attitudes that underlie positive nursing approaches to the health care of people with diabetes.