Patient-centred care in type 2 diabetes - an altered professional role for diabetes specialist
nurses
Sammanfattning
Little research has been done to try to understand how patient-centred care is understood and
practised by healthcare professionals specialising in patients with diabetes. Experiences from
patient-centred practices need to be highlighted as a way of motivating diabetes specialist nurses to
take a patient-centred approach. The aim of this study was to describe diabetes specialist nurses'
experiences of practising patient-centred care in the context of a type 2 diabetes intervention. The
study design was descriptive and used qualitative methods. Focus group interviews complemented
by individual semi-structured interviews were analysed by qualitative content analysis. The main
theme of the diabetes specialist nurses' experiences of practising patient-centred care was an
altered professional role. The main theme was based on two themes: ambivalence towards practising
patient-centred care and enriched relationships with the patients. The ambivalence towards practising
patient-centred care was based on the three subthemes: a position of withdrawn expertise,
inconvenience of changing routines and insights that patient-centred care is difficult but possible.
Their experiences of enriched relationships with patients were based on the two subthemes: courage
to discuss the severity of diabetes and increased engagement in patients' daily lives. The diabetes
specialist nurses' experiences with practising patient-centred care included doubts about their ability
to practise in such a way and about the feasibility of such care. At the same time, their enriched
relationships with patients were seen as an opportunity to engage in patients' lives. Training and
support for practising patient-centred care may improve diabetes specialist nurses skills in patient-
centred care and self-management support in type 2 diabetes. Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons.