Nurses’ Knowledge of Diabetic Foot Ulcer Management in North Vietnam

Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs) are a serious complication of diabetes. Nurses play a critical role in DFU management; however, their knowledge remains inconsistent. Therefore, assessing nurses’ knowledge of DFU management is essential to identify knowledge gaps and utilize them to improve the quality of care.

This study aimed to assess nurses' knowledge in managing DFUs in the northern provinces of Vietnam.

A cross-sectional study was conducted across 12 northern provinces of Vietnam from August 2023 to April 2024. A questionnaire focusing on DFU management was developed to assess the knowledge of 560 nurses from 18 provincial and 22 district hospitals. Nurses’ knowledge was evaluated based on the percentage of correct answers to each question: more than 50% (Level 1); and 50% or less (Level 2).

The majority of nurses demonstrated Level 2 knowledge, with 24.3% answering all 7 questions at this level, while only 0.4% answered all questions at Level 1. Over 80% of nurses had inadequate knowledge of DFU management. Nurses who had participated in wound care training scored significantly higher at Level 1, compared to those without training (29.5 ± 7.6 vs. 14.3 ± 6.4, p < 0.001). Knowledge levels did not differ significantly between nurses working at provincial and district hospitals (p > 0.05) nor between those with and without wound care experience (p > 0.05).

Nurses in northern Vietnam demonstrated limited knowledge in managing DFUs. Workplace and wound care experience were not significantly associated with knowledge levels. However, wound care training was significantly associated with higher knowledge levels. These findings underscore the importance of implementing structured wound care training programs for nurses. Future research should explore the effectiveness of various training approaches in improving clinical outcomes for patients with DFUs.