Professional health literacy among nurses in Germany: Results of a quantitative, cross-sectional survey

Background: Little is known about the professional health literacy (HL) of nurses, i.e., how well they are able to promote patients' HL. Existing studies have focused on personal HL, which does not entirely align with professional HL. Therefore, a new concept and questionnaire for professional HL have been developed and implemented for the first time. The results obtained for nurses in Germany are analysed with this article. Research question: It is asked how professional health literacy (HL) is distributed among nurses and which factors are associated with it. Methods: Data were collected through an online survey where nurses were asked about the difficulties they encounter in managing tasks in four dimensions: (1) information and knowledge management, (2) explaining and conveying information, (3) patient-centered communication, and (4) professional digital health literacy. Descriptive and multivariate, linear regression methods were used for analysis. Results: The 624 respondents rated the fourth dimension as the most difficult. The first and second dimensions were rated as similarly difficult, while the third dimension was considered least difficult. Higher professional HL is linked to better self-assessed training and framework conditions. Conclusion: Despite a relatively positive self-assessment, the results indicate areas that require improvement and should be addressed urgently.