Diabetes Specialist Nurses’ Experiences of Supporting Emerging Adults Living With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus After the Transfer to Adult Care—A Qualitative Study

Sep 29, 2026

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Explore and describe the experiences of Swedish diabetes specialist nurses supporting emerging adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus after transfer from paediatric to adult care. A qualitative descriptive study with 10 nurse specialists from six hospitals used recorded interviews analysed via qualitative content analysis. Findings highlight ambition to optimise individualized support yet being constrained by structural barriers. Results emphasize long-term goals in self-management support, difficulties achieving accessible care, and the need for education beyond medical management to include psychosocial transitions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Aim

Background

Method

Results

Conclusion

Wiley Nursing Research and Practice Volume 2025, Article ID 4036033, 10 pages [https://doi.org/10.1155/nrp/4036033](https://doi.org/10.1155/nrp/4036033) Research Article Diabetes Specialist Nurses’ Experiences of Supporting Emerging Adults Living With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus After the Transfer to Adult Care—A Qualitative Study S. Olsson , 1 T. Willman ,2 ˚A. Hrnsten , 1 J. Otten ,3 M. Blusi , 1 E. Lundberg 4 , I. Lavin ,5 and ˚A. Carlsund 1 1 Department of Nursing, Ume a˚ University, Umea˚, Sweden 2North ¨A lvsborgs Hospital, Paediatric Diabetes Clinic, Trollh ¨attan, Sweden 3 Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Ume ˚a University, Ume˚a, Sweden 4 Department of Paediatrics, Institution of Clinical Sciences, Ume ˚a University, Ume˚a, Sweden 5 Umea˚ University Hospital, Paediatric Diabetes Clinic, Ume a˚, Sweden Correspondence should be addressed to S. Olsson; [sara.olsson@umu.se](sara.olsson@umu.se) Received 17 May 2025; Revised 22 September 2025; Accepted 6 November 2025 Academic Editor: Kechi Iheduru Anderson Copyright © 2025 S. Olsson et al. Nursing Research and Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Tis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Aim: To explore and describe the experiences of Swedish diabetes specialist nurses in supporting emerging adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus after the transfer from paediatric to adult care. Background: Te transfer from paediatric to adult care for emerging adults living with type 1 diabetes mellitus is a critical period that can impact their well-being and long-term health outcomes. Diabetes specialist nurses play a crucial role in supporting these individuals during the transitions in emerging adulthood. However, their experiences and challenges in providing optimal support have not been extensively studied. Method: We used a qualitative descriptive design. Ten diabetes nurse specialists from six diferent Swedish hospitals participated in recorded individual interviews by video link or face-to-face using a semistructured interview guide. Data collection spanned from May to December 2023, and the data were analysed with qualitative content analysis. Informed consent was obtained. Results: Te main theme of the results was ambition to optimise individual support but with hands tied by structural barriers with three additional themes concentrating on the individual and the relationship, emphasising long-term objectives in selfmanagement support, and struggling with obstacles to providing accessible care. Te results indicate that while diabetes specialist nurses focus on building strong relationships and emphasise long-term goals in self-management support, they encounter signifcant obstacles when providing accessible care after the transfer to adult care. Conclusion: Diabetes specialist nurses highlighted a need for education and training that extends beyond simply managing the medical condition, considering various life transitions and psychosocial challenges. Te fndings indicate that future standards for supportive interventions should prioritise existential and psychosocial factors. Tere is a lack of systematic national consensus on collaboration, as the diabetes specialist nurses reported difering experiences regarding transfers and continuity of care. 1. Introduction Several lifelong illnesses, such as type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), mainly have their onset in childhood or adolescence, leading to rising numbers of individuals being transferred to adult care [1] . Sweden has the world’s second- highest incidence of T1DM in children and adolescents [2], leading to particularly large expected numbers of emerging adults (EAs) transferring to adult care in this country. Selfmanagement while living with T1DM includes, for instance, taking medication, monitoring you

FAQs

What was the study aim?

To explore and describe the experiences of Swedish diabetes specialist nurses in supporting emerging adults with type 1 diabetes after transfer from paediatric to adult care.

How was the study conducted?

A qualitative descriptive design was used. Ten nurse specialists participated in recorded individual interviews, and data were analysed with qualitative content analysis.

What were the key findings?

The main theme was ambition to optimise individual support but with hands tied by structural barriers. Additional themes focused on individual relationships, long-term self-management objectives, and obstacles to providing accessible care.

What implications were highlighted in the conclusion?

Nurse specialists emphasized the need for education and training that covers life transitions and psychosocial challenges, and suggested future supportive interventions prioritize existential and psychosocial factors while addressing lack of national consensus on collaboration and continuity of care.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore