What are the Experiences and Needs of Primary Care Nurses in Caring for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in a Rural Village in South Africa? An Exploratory Study

Ednah V Sechabe,Hilde Bastiaens,Tebogo M Mothiba

doi:10.5539/gjhs.v11n7p90

Abstract

Since 1994, the emphasis in the provision of health services in South Africa has shifted from hospital-based care to a community-based comprehensive primary health care system, especially important in the management of chronic diseases. However, primary health care professional nurses are not well trained to manage chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the experiences and needs of primary care nurses as a basis for the development of a training programme for professional nurses who care for T2D patients. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, using individual interviews with primary health care nurses caring for T2D patients in the Ga-Dikgale village clinics. Ethical considerations were observed throughout the study and quality supportive measures were employed. Three main themes emerged from the study findings which address the current practices and knowledge of professional nurses related to care provided to diabetes patients, the challenges experienced by professional nurses during the provision of care to diabetes patients on treatment and their training experiences, gaps and needs. A need for continuing education for professional nurses related to the care of patients with diabetes was identified. The results of this study will be used to develop a training programme to improve the knowledge and skills of professional nurses and to improve the quality of care of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Highlights

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the fastest growing chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and has become a global epidemic (Unnikrshnan, Pradeepa, Joshi, & Mohan, 2017)
The research reported on in this paper is part of a larger study which aimed at the development of a training programme for primary care nurses on T2D in rural clinics in South Africa
The interview data were grouped in three main themes (Table 3): Current practices and knowledge of professional nurses related to care provided to diabetes patients on treatment, Challenges experienced by professional nurses during provision of care to diabetes patients on treatment, training experiences and gaps and needs

Summary

Introduction

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the fastest growing chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and has become a global epidemic (Unnikrshnan, Pradeepa, Joshi, & Mohan, 2017). Type 2 diabetes is characterized by impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance in peripheral tissues, such as adipose and muscle, and the liver. Over the past three decades, the number of people with diabetes mellitus has more than doubled globally, making it one of the most important public health challenges for all nations (Chen, Magliano, & Zimmet, 2011). Diabetes has caused 1.5 million deaths in 2012, an estimated 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014 (WHO, 2016). According to Braun and Clarke (2006), an estimated 415 million people have diabetes throughout the world, with the number set to rise beyond 642 million within the two decades. Over 90% of cases of diabetes mellitus are of T2D a form of diabetes (WHO, 2009)

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