Glaucoma awareness amongst the final year nursing students

Introduction: Glaucoma is defined as an optic neuropathy characterized by specific structural findings in the optic disc. Glaucoma is the second commonest cause of blindness. |Elimination of glaucoma blindness is feasible when adequate measures are taken at all levels of services from the primary level to advanced tertiary level. Health care personnel can be effective in promoting the public awareness of glaucoma provided they have a fair knowledge of the disease. This study was conducted to evaluate awareness about glaucoma amongst the final year nursing students, who will be soon becoming health care personnel. Materials and Methods: All final year GNM and BSC nursing students of Sri Siddhartha nursing college willing to participate in the study were included. Closed ended questionnaire specific to Knowledge regarding glaucoma awareness were used. Awareness was evaluated in 4 aspects, regarding glaucoma disease per se, disease diagnosis, treatment modalities, and the social impact of the disease. It was a cross-sectional study for each batch of students. Ethical clearance was taken from the institutional ethical committee. Observations: In our study knowledge regarding the disease can be said to be fair knowledge among our participants (54.09%). The knowledge regarding the disease diagnosis was poor (42.85%). The overall knowledge regarding disease treatment was found to be Fair (53.58%), however many (8.19%), no responses were provided. Also the knowledge regarding the social impact of the disease was found to be Fair (52.86%). Conclusion: Lack of adequate knowledge regarding glaucoma related blindness, poses a challenge towards the control of this disease. We found the knowledge regarding the disease, treatment modality and social aspect to be fair knowledge regarding disease diagnosis was poor. More emphasis should be given towards dissemination of knowledge regarding the diagnosis of the disease .However there is scope of improvement in the knowledge aspects of treatment modalities and the social rehabilitative aspects of glaucoma in the paramedic seminars, workshops and educational symposias.