Understanding the contribution of intellectual disability nurses: Scoping research Volume 2 of 3: Scoping survey research report

Abstract

Introduction This scoping research identifies nursing-led and or nursing centred interventions that are in place to address the changing needs of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Aims The aim of the research is to identify nursing-led and / or nursing centred interventions that are in place to address the challenging and changing needs of people with ID. The research identifies interventions, that can be implemented by nurses working in multi-disciplinary teams. The research also identifies areas of good care delivery, innovative practices, and possible gaps in the provision of care for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Methods We undertook an online survey to collect quantitative and qualitative data. We used voluntary response sampling to collect data from 230 participants from 7 countries. Participants were primarily registered intellectual disabilities nurses working with people with ID. We used thematic, and content analyses to analyse qualitative data. We undertook descriptive and inferential statistical analyses of quantitative data, specifically we undertook Pearson correlations and Pearson Chi-square analyses. Results We identified 878 interventions from 7 countries. These interventions were undertaken in a wide range of settings and across the lifespan (maternity (4), children (156), adults (384), older adults (129), all age groups (393) and end of life (19). We categorised the interventions into five themes; effectuating nursing procedures, enhancing impact of ID services, enhancing impact of mainstream services, enhancing quality of life, and enhancing ID nursing practice. We identified several case studies that demonstrate the positive impact of ID nursing interventions. Conclusions ID nurses implement a wide range of emerging interventions working in multi-disciplinary teams. They practice in a wide range of settings in the UK and other countries. More work is needed in order to better understand the reasons for the limited involvement of ID nurses with pregnant women with IDs and in end-of-life care. The variation in understanding the interventions undertaken by ID nurses between countries need to be further investigated.