The Attitudes of Nurses, Dietitians, and Physicians Toward Diabetes

Abstract

This paper describes the attitudes of physicians, nurses, and dietitians toward diabetes. The study involves 1,608 diabetes attitude surveys that were completed by both diabetes specialists and nonspecialists. The study found that overall the attitudes of diabetes specialists were consistently more positive than those of nonspecialists. Also, the study found that the diabetes-related attitudes of nurses and dietitians were consistently more positive than the attitudes of physicians. The respondents were most positive in their support of the need for special training to treat diabetes, the team approach to diabetes care, and the relationship between glycemic control and the subsequent development of complications. The support for patient autonomy in the treatment of diabetes and for the seriousness of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) was less strong although still favorable.