Nurses' role in caring for people with a comorbidity of mental illness and intellectual disability: a literature review.
This article examines literature on the role of the nurse caring for people with a dual disability (DD) of intellectual disability and mental illness. A search of the literature between 2000 and 2010 resulted in a total of 21 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Seven key categories of the role of the nurse were identified: (i) advocacy/health promotion (including working with family); (ii) assessment/case management; (iii) behavioural interventions; (iv) communication; (v) leadership and the nurse's role within the multidisciplinary team; (vi) functions regarding medication administration; and (vii) safety/risk management. There is a paucity of research about the role of nurses working with people with DD, although a number of opinion-based articles exist. This article identifies a need for the role of the nurse working in DD to be more clearly articulated and for the development of evidence to guide best practice.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. chris.taua@cpit.ac.nz
Chris
C
Taua
Julie
J
Hepworth
Christine
C
Neville
D019090:Case Management; D003142:Communication; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications* / Q000451:nursing; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000451:nursing; D024802:Nurse's Role; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010348:Patient Care Team; D061214:Patient Safety; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000379:methods