title: Caring for cancer patients with an intellectual disability: Attitudes and care perceptions of UK oncology nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Caring for people with cancer or an intellectual disability (ID) is stressful: little is known about the combined impact of caring for cancer patients with an ID, though this is expected to be especially challenging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-three nurses, working in oncology or a related field (i.e. palliative care) were recruited. Perceptions of caring for patients with and without an ID were measured, alongside potentially confounding information about participant demographic characteristics and perceived stress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants felt less comfortable communicating with patients with an ID about their illness (F(1,82) = 59.52, p < 0.001), more reliant on a caregiver for communication (F(1,82) = 26.29, p < 0.001), and less confident that the patient's needs would be identified (F(1,82) = 42.03, p < 0.001) and met (F(1,81) = 62.90, p < 0.001). Participants also believed that caring for this patient group would induce more stress, compared with patients without an ID (F(1,81) = 31.592, p < 0.001). Previous experience working with ID patient groups appears to mitigate some perceptions about providing care to this population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caring for cancer patients with an ID may intensify this, already difficult, role. Through training and knowledge exchange, oncology nurse's confidence in communication, providing appropriate care, and positivity towards this patient group may be improved.
authors.affiliation: Chester Research Unit for the Psychology of Health, Department of Psychology, University of Chester, Chritchley Building, Parkgate Road, Chester, CH1 4BJ, UK. Electronic address: samantha.flynn@chester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.affiliation: Chester Research Unit for the Psychology of Health, Department of Psychology, University of Chester, Chritchley Building, Parkgate Road, Chester, CH1 4BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hulbert-Williams
authors.affiliation: Chester Research Unit for the Psychology of Health, Department of Psychology, University of Chester, Chritchley Building, Parkgate Road, Chester, CH1 4BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Ros
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bramwell
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Mary Seacole Building, Nursery Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1AD, UK.
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stevens-Gill
authors.affiliation: Chester Research Unit for the Psychology of Health, Department of Psychology, University of Chester, Chritchley Building, Parkgate Road, Chester, CH1 4BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hulbert-Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000451:nursing*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010465:Perception; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cancer; Communication; Intellectual disabilities; Knowledge; Oncology nurses; Stress