Impact of Educational Program on Nursing Officers’ Knowledge of Emerging & Re-emerging Diseases in Punjab, India

Abstract

Introduction: Emerging and re-emerging diseases, such as tuberculosis, dengue, malaria, and influenza, remain major global health challenges. Nursing officers are vital in detection and management, yet knowledge gaps persist. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve their knowledge in selected institutions of Punjab, India.

Methodology: A one group pre and post-test research design was adopted to conduct study among 30 nursing officers working in selected institutions of Punjab selected through convenience sampling. Structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from participants. Descriptive and inferential statistics was done with SPSS version 24.

Results: Mean knowledge scores improved significantly across most domains. Scores for emerging and re-emerging conditions increased from 11.4±2.88 to 16.5±1.99 (p<0.05). Knowledge about tuberculosis, vector-borne diseases, and rabies improved from 10.9±3.72 to 17.6±1.77 (p<0.05); HIV, hepatitis, and diarrhoeal diseases from 11.8±3.34 to 17.5±1.57 (p<0.05); cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and stroke from 9.96±3.22 to 13.8±2.22 (p<0.05); prevention and management of NAFLD and COPD from 11.6±2.49 to 16.4±3.14 (p<0.05); and mental well-being from 13.3±2.52 to 17.6±2.61 respectively. Only cancer prevention and management showed a modest, statistically non-significant change 9.20±2.51 to 11.55±1.86 (p=0.76).

Conclusion: Structured educational intervention significantly improved nursing officers’ knowledge across multiple domains of emerging and re-emerging communicable diseases. Integrating such targeted training into routine professional development programs can strengthen the capacity of healthcare systems to detect, prevent, and control communicable disease outbreaks which can contribute to improved public health outcomes in Punjab and beyond.