Challenges in nursing and the care and guidance of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and their caregivers

Background: Caring for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus in the inpatient field is also a major challenge for well-trained health and pediatric nurses. The developments in diabetes technology in particular not only bring relief but also a high need for further training. Objective: Presentation of the background, developments and current challenges of health and pediatric nursing in pediatric diabetology. Material and method: Literature search and evaluation of expert recommendations. Results: Healthcare and pediatric nursing is weakened in its function due to a lack of resources, especially in the clinical field. The nursing personnel often have too little knowledge about insulin pumps. In particular, the capillary point-of-care ketone measurements in all nursing wards can contribute to the faster identification of life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Nursing personnel should watch out for people with the 4T symptoms in all areas of work. In Germany, two new fields of activity for nursing tasks in pediatrics have emerged, the activity in social medical aftercare and in the school healthcare nursing personnel. Conclusion: The potential of this essential occupational group of healthcare and pediatric nursing can only be insufficiently utilized at German hospitals. Insufficient knowledge in the field of diabetes technology, seems to have negative effects on the satisfaction and safety of the patients and their caregivers. Point-of-care ketone measurements should be available in all inpatient areas. Nursing personnel should watch out for people with 4T symptoms in all areas of work to prevent manifestations with severe ketoacidosis. There are two evolving areas of activity in the nursing of children with diabetes.