Objective To explore the expectations of stakeholders regarding the role of nurse practitioners in diabetes management.Methods Purposeful sampling method was employed to select 34 health administrators, endocrinologists and nurses working in different provinces, 12 patients with diabetes and 11 family members for semi-structured interviews. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data and extract the themes.Results Four main themes and 11 sub-themes were identified: diversified professional roles （advanced nursing practitioners, educators and consultants, coordinators, and leaders）, diabetes management responsibilities （diabetes assessment and diagnosis, medication and non-medication prescription rights, long-term management and follow-up）, training of nurse practitioner （exploration of educational models, integration of theory and practice）, and role promotion factors and difficulties （motivational factors, facing multiple challenges）.Conclusion Nurse practitioners′ involvement in diabetes management is characterized by multiple roles and specific responsibilities, but it requires training and faces various challenges.