Objective: This study aimed to assess the competency of clinical nurses in providing dietary guidance to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and to examine factors influencing this competency. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted across 36 secondary and tertiary hospitals in 11 prefecture-level cities in China between April and May 2024. Data were collected using validated questionnaires clinical nurse assessment tool for chronic kidney disease (CKD) dietary guidance that assessed three domains knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and practices related to dietary guidance for CKD. Results: Out of 393 valid responses, the overall mean score for dietary guidance competency was 214.46 ± 25.94. Domain-specific mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice components were 3.95 ± 0.61, 4.08 ± 0.41, and 3.72 ± 0.69 respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis identified four significant predictors of competency: departmental affiliation, dedicated learning time, prior nutrition training, and leadership support for dietary education initiatives ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: To enhance the competency of nurses in providing dietary guidance to individuals with CKD, healthcare systems should implement standardized nutrition training programs and integrate these with specialized clinical practice to optimize training outcomes. Keywords: attitude, chronic kidney disease, clinical nurse, dietary guidance ability, influencing factor, knowledge, practice
Wang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.