Scoping review: contribution of intellectual disability nurses

Abstract

Aims and objectives The objective of this scoping literature review was to summarise evidence on the contribution of intellectual disability (ID) nurses to improving the health and well-being of children, adults and older people with IDs, now and for the future. Review question The scoping literature reviews seeks to answer the following question; What ID nursing-led interventions are in place to respond to the changing needs of people living with IDs, and what is the impact of these interventions Conclusions The limited number of publications identifying the interventions undertaken by ID nurses in relation to maternity, children, older adults and end of life care need to be addressed by the profession. The lack of evidence to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of interventions undertaken by ID nurses pose a challenge for intellectual disability nurses and the profession, whose wider contribution is ambiguous in wider health and social care practice. The interventions undertaken by ID nurses need to be understood in the context of the complexity and changing needs of people with IDs, as well as the introduction of the new NMC standards for pre-registration nurse education in the UK. Recommendations Given the complexity of health, poorer health, higher rates of co-morbidity, inequalities in health, poor access to health services and higher rates of premature mortality experienced by people with IDs, we recommend that urgent research is undertaken to further clarify ID nurse interventions, more specifically in relation to maternity, children, older adult, and end of life care.