A study of pattern management performed by nurses certified in diabetes nursing in Japan and clarification of the related factors

Introduction: To reveal the actual conditions of blood glucose pattern management (BGPM) performed by nurses certified in diabetes nursing (DCNs) in Japan and clarification of the related factors. DCNs are the specialists for people with diabetes and are certified by the Japanese Nursing Association (JNA). BGPM refers to a method aimed at improving blood glucose control by ascertaining changes (patterns) in blood glucose levels and conducting a systematic and multi-dimensional analysis of the factors contributing to these patterns. Method: Subjects were DCNs (n = 303) whose names and affiliations were publicly available on the JNA website in November 2011. The study was conducted through a postal questionnaire, involving items about how they were conducting guidance, the details of the BGPM (i.e. method and target) and the state of their overview of facilities, from January 2012 to February 2012. Result: The questionnaire was returned by 148 respondents. Regarding the statement ‘Looking with the people with diabetes for patterns in their blood glucose levels brings unexpected discoveries’, 140 (95.2%) selected ‘Agree’ or ‘Somewhat agree’. The respondents’ coefficient analyses showed a significant correlation between ‘I am very good at finding changes (patterns) in blood glucose or HbA1c levels’ and ‘The doctors at our facility are cooperative when it comes to BGPM’. Conclusion: In this study, most of the DCNs performed BGPM for people with diabetes and recognized that performing BGPM has been useful for most people with diabetes. In addition, building a good relationship between doctors and nurses is suggested for performing BGPM effectively.