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Perceived competence and actual level of knowledge of diabetes mellitus among nurses.

Staff nurses were surveyed on their perceived and actual level of knowledge of diabetes mellitus. Staff nurses (n = 32) employed at a rural 62-bed acute care hospital in the southeastern United States constituted a convenience sample. The Diabetes Self-Report Tool was used to assess staff nurses' perceptions of knowledge of diabetes mellitus. Using a Likert-type scale a mean score of 88% was obtained concerning perceived knowledge. The Diabetes Basic Knowledge Test was used to measure the actual level of knowledge of diabetes mellitus. A mean score of 75% was obtained on the Diabetes Basic Knowledge Test. Nurses' perception of knowledge was not related to actual knowledge scores. Study findings raise questions for the nurse involved in staff development concerning the adequacy of nursing competency validation in the area of diabetes management.