The transition of adolescents with diabetes into the adult health care service: the diabetes nurse specialist’s perception of adolescent needs ambulatory blood pressure monitoring study

Introduction Previous studies have examined patient responses to
transition into the adult diabetes care services. Research into the
Diabetes Specialist Nurses (DSN) perspective is limited.
Aim To explore the perceptions of DSNs about the process of transition
from the childrenÕs health care services into the adult health
care services.
Methods Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with eight
DSNs, from trusts across north-west England. Themes in the data
were identified through thematic analysis.
Results Four primary themes were identified. ÔProvision of SerÐ
viceÕ identified that significant gaps exist between the provision of
care in the childrenÕs and the adult health care service. ÔNeeds and
EducationÕ highlighted the adolescents need to acquire the necessary
knowledge to enable them to become independent in the
management of their diabetes and in the management of their life.
ÔAdolescentÕs Social Skills and BehaviourÕ identified adolescents as
a ÔdifficultÕ or ÔhardÕ group to work with. This was attributed to
their tendency towards dependency on others and the pressures and
stresses of teenage life, which influence the adolescent resulting in
poor compliance and higher rates of defaulting. The ÔStaff InterÐ
actionsÕ theme identified proficient interpersonal skills and an
informal clinic atmosphere as factors that can improve compliance
and attendance rates.