LAUSR

Objective To explore diabetes specialist nurses’ perceptions of traditional Chinese medicine, their clinical practice experiences, and feedback on the teaching model. Methods The study conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 21 diabetes specialist nurses who were trained in traditional Chinese medicine nursing, using purposeful sampling. Data were analyzed using traditional content analysis. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist for qualitative research was used. Results Three themes were distilled: A layer-by-layer deepening of traditional Chinese medicine perception, clinical practice experience of traditional Chinese medicine nursing in diabetes and feedback on teaching traditional Chinese medicine clinical practice to diabetes specialist nurses. Conclusion The province’s diabetes specialist nurse base training program, integrating Chinese and Western medicine, has enhanced the knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine nursing among specialist nurses and is highly regarded for its clinical practice experience. It also promotes the dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine culture. However, further optimization, such as extending the duration of clinical practical training in traditional Chinese medicine nursing for diabetes, is needed to meet the demand for high-quality training of diabetes specialist nursing personnel integrating Chinese and Western medicine.