Nurses’ understanding and management of iron deficiency in Australia: a cross-sectional, exploratory study

OBJECTIVES: To assess the experiences and knowledge of nurses in the area of iron deficiency. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, exploratory study using online survey. SETTING: Data were collected from nurses working at various primary, secondary and tertiary Australian health practices and organisations. PARTICIPANTS: Australian nurses currently in practice. METHOD: Australian nurses currently in practice were invited to complete an online survey about their work background, personal experiences with iron deficiency and iron-deficiency identification and treatment. The survey included a nine-item questionnaire to assess knowledge of iron-deficiency risk factors and biochemistry. RESULTS: A total of 534 eligible nurses participated in the survey. Participants were more likely to be female, aged 55–64 years, and working in general practice. Just under half (45.1%) reported being diagnosed with iron deficiency themselves. Unusual fatigue or tiredness was the most frequent symptom that alerted nurses to potential iron deficiency in patients (reported by 91.9% of nurses). Nurses who had participated in formal training around iron deficiency in the last 5 years demonstrated a significantly higher knowledge score (4.2±2.1) compared with those who had not or were not sure about their formal training status (3.7±1.9, p=0.035). Knowledge around the understanding of functional iron deficiency was limited. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses report personal experiences of iron deficiency and show good knowledge of symptoms, demonstrating the potential for them to take a leading role in managing iron deficiency in patients. Educational programmes are required to address knowledge gaps and should be offered via various methods to accommodate a diverse nurse cohort. Our research highlights the potential for an expanded scope of practice for nurses in the primary care setting in the area of iron deficiency.