Effects of a standardized nursing care program on patient outcomes and nursing competence in diabetic patients at a primary hospital

Background Diabetes is a major global public health concern. In primary care settings, a significant portion of inpatient diabetes management is delivered by non-endocrinology nurses, yet deficits in their diabetes knowledge can pose risks to patient safety. Therefore, evaluating structured training programs for these nurses is crucial. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effects of a standardized nursing care program on patient outcomes and nursing competence in diabetic patients at a primary hospital. Methods This was a quasi-experimental pre-post controlled study. The control group consisted of 56 nurses and 80 diabetic patients receiving routine care between May 2021 and May 2022. The observation group included the same 56 nurses and a new cohort of 80 diabetic patients after a standardized nursing intervention (June 2022–June 2023). The intervention comprised systematic diabetes nursing training for nurses and the implementation of a standardized care model for patients. Primary outcomes were changes in nurses’ diabetes knowledge and operational scores, and patients’ diabetes knowledge scores, glycemic control, incidence of adverse reactions, and satisfaction. Data were analyzed using Student’s t-test, repeated-measures ANOVA or Chi-square tests. Results Compared with the control group, the observation group had higher operational scores and theoretical scores after training ( p < 0.001). After the intervention, the scores of diabetes knowledge of the patients in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( p < 0.001), the levels of fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin in the observation group (6.25 ± 0.45 mmol/L and 6.50 ± 0.25%) were lower than those in the control group (6.68 ± 0.58 mmol/L and 6.80 ± 0.20%; p < 0.001), the incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was lower than that in the control group ( p = 0.034), and the satisfaction rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group ( p = 0.003). Conclusion The implementation of a standardized nursing care program significantly enhanced the diabetes-related competency of non-endocrinology nurses, leading to improved patient knowledge, better glycemic control, fewer adverse reactions, and higher satisfaction.