Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of student nurses regarding community activities in primary care: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective To ascertain student nurses’ degree of knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding the implementation of community activities (CA) in primary care.

Design Questionnaire-based cross-sectional study.

Sample The study was conducted with 152 students seeking a nursing degree at the University of Santiago de Compostela (North Spain) in the 2022/2023 academic year.

Measurements We distributed a self-administered online questionnaire on CA, which are actions undertaken in collaboration with the local community and targeted at groups of people with common needs, in order to improve the health and wellbeing of the population.

Results Only 15.1% of the sample was able to identify CA correctly. However, 93.4% considered these an effective approach for the control of chronic diseases. Special mention should be made of the positive attitude shown by students toward the implementation of these types of activities.

Conclusion Nurses play a key role in preventing chronic diseases, and it is therefore necessary to ensure that they are trained in the implementation of CA aimed at reducing the incidence of such diseases. Future training plans for nurses should emphasize the community perspective in order to improve the skills of future professionals in this field and to increase the success of these interventions.