COMPETENCE IN TOPIC OF PSORIASIS AMONG NURSES IN HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS.

Unlabelled: Nurses in their everyday work meet patients with various diseases (including chronic skin diseases), and play an important role in improving patients' quality of life. Nurses working in dermatology clinics frequently play leading roles in the care of patients with skin disorders. The aim of the study was to investigate the knowledge about the psoriasis among nurses working in non-dermatological healthcare institutions. A cross-sectional study in randomly selected 16 healthcare institutions of Kaunas city was conducted. The study included 505 nurses. A questionnaire to assess the knowledge was developed, containing 15 questions about signs of psoriasis. Based on the responses, the nurses' level of knowledge was evaluated in points. The respondents' age was 45.34±10.52 years, and the mean duration of their work experience was 23.2±11.42 years.

Conclusion: the nurses' level of knowledge depended on their education level and the frequency of contacts with psoriasis patients. Nurses working in non-dermatological healthcare institutions had insufficient knowledge about psoriasis, and expressed willingness to learn more.