Nurses' Chronic Disease Management Competencies And Patient Adherence To Long-Term Treatment Plans

This study aimed to investigate nurses' self-assessed competencies in chronic disease management and their assessment of patient adherence to long-term treatment plans. A descriptive-comparative-correlational design was employed, utilizing a researcher-made questionnaire administered to 131 nurses in medi-cal-surgical units at Jinan Central Hospital. The results indicated that nurses generally perceived themselves as competent, with an overall mean competency score of 3.14. Patient adherence was assessed with a mean score of 3.26, indi-cating that nurses viewed their patients as largely compliant with treatment plans. Notably, competencies in patient education and emotional support showed significant positive correlations with adherence behaviors. However, areas such as medication adherence and lifestyle changes were identified as needing improvement. The study concluded that enhancing nursing competen-cies, particularly in patient education and emotional support, is essential for improving long-term adherence and health outcomes in chronic disease man-agement.