Core competencies for diabetes specialist nurses: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes is a serious health condition that challenges a person's daily life, emotional well-being and perceived quality of life. It increases one's risk of developing other health-related complications and encountering an early death. People with diabetes require comprehensive and meticulous management through a collaborative clinical multidisciplinary team. Optimal management reduces the risk of diabetes-related health issues. Significantly, people's knowledge of diabetes and its management depends, to a large extent, on the adequacy and effectiveness of the diabetes-related care and education they receive. Diabetes specialist nurses (DSNs) are essential in diabetes care and education. The management of diabetes is rapidly changing, with advances in technologies to monitor glycaemic control, growth in new therapies and devices, and new ways of interacting with people with diabetes instead of traditional face-to-face consultations. DSNs are at the forefront in delivering diabetes care and have had to adapt their practice and learn new skills to embrace these changes. Meanwhile, the competency framework has evolved to keep abreast of these changes and ensure that nurses provide high-quality care for people with diabetes. A scoping review of the global core competencies of DSNs and identifying a worldwide framework of core competencies holds significant importance for their professional growth and role standardisation worldwide. Methods and analysis: The scoping review will be conducted in accordance with Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Moreover, this protocol will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols checklist. The following online databases will be searched from the earliest available record to 4 October 2024, including CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Grey literature will be retrieved through OAIster, Google Scholar and OpenGrey, supplemented by targeted manual searches of official websites of national diabetes associations of different countries. Study selection and data extraction of the full text will be done independently by two reviewers based on the inclusion criteria and a predetermined data extraction form. In the event of any discrepancies, they will be resolved through discussion with the third reviewer. The extracted data will be summarised and exhibited in tabular or graphical form. Ethics and dissemination: This study does not require ethical approval, as all data will be collected from published and grey literature. The findings will be presented at relevant conferences and submitted to peer-reviewed journals for publication.