Fatma İlknur Çınar, Damla Amasya, Ayla Demirtaş, Eda Ünal
Gulhane Medical Journal - 2025;67(4):268-276
Aims: Nurses play a vital role in diabetes education, and their involvement has a positive impact on patient outcomes. To date, no research has specifically investigated the metaphors used by diabetes nurse educators in diabetes education. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of nurses who provide care for diabetic patients by analysing the metaphors they use to describe diabetes education. Methods: A qualitative research design and purposive sampling were used. Data were collected using a data collection form developed by the researchers based on the literature, which included descriptive characteristics of diabetes nurse educators and their metaphorical expressions. The nurses' responses were analysed using content analysis. Results: The study included 52 diabetes nurse educators. The mean age of nurse educators was 41.51+/-7.31 years, and the mean duration of working as diabetes nurse educators was 8.96+/-7.98 years. Analysis of their responses to the metaphorical expression identified 38 metaphors, which were grouped into four themes based on shared characteristics: a tool to empower the patient, an indispensable process, a thorny path that requires patience and effort, and a tool to touch the lives of others. These themes reflect both positive and negative perceptions of diabetes education. Conclusions: Diabetes nurse educators were found to have both positive and negative perceptions of diabetes education. They described it as an indispensable tool - it strengthens patients, helps them navigate a new path in life, and enables effective disease management - and as a long, challenging, and labour-intensive process.
