Ideal versus Real Conditions for Type 2 Diabetes Care: Diabetes Specialty Nurses' Perspectives

Background: Since diabetes specialty nurses are the professionals who spend the most time with patients living with diabetes, they probably have the greatest influence on the quality of diabetes care. Therefore, their personal perceptions about what constitutes “good care” in type 2 diabetes care are important to explore. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe conditions for “good care” in type 2-diabetes as perceived by diabetes specialty nurses. Method: Twenty-one experienced diabetes specialty nurses participated in three focus group interviews. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.Findings: The findings are presented in four themes describing diabetes specialty nurses’ perspectives on ideal versus real conditions for type 2 diabetes care: 1) Diabetes counseling built on empowerment versus governance; 2) Diabetes management built on comprehensive versus biomedical views; 3) Diabetes organization built on nurse-led versus physician-led care; and 4) Diabetes policies built on quality versus equality. Conclusion: The ideal diabetes care is perceived as complex to achieve. Conflicting paradigms, power relations, and departmentalization of work are influencing the potential to deliver ideal diabetes care and to increase satisfaction among diabetes specialty nurses and patients. The diabetes specialty nurses described themselves as the “hub” of diabetes care, and they perceived conflicts between ideal versus real conditions in type 2 diabetes care. Patient centredness is not a real condition in diabetes care.