Understanding the contribution of intellectual disabilities nurses. Paper 1 of 4-Scoping literature review

The objective of this scoping review was to summarise evidence on the contribution of intellectual disabilities nurses to improve the health and well-being of children, adults and older people with intellectual disability, now and for the future. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (for Scoping Reviews) (PRISMA-ScR) process and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidance was used. We included 54 publications. We identified 154 interventions undertaken by intellectual disability nurses. We categorised the intellectual disability nursing interventions into three themes: effectuating nursing procedures, enhancing impact of services, and enhancing quality of life.Findings point to high quality research being essential in determining the impact and effectiveness of intellectual disability nursing interventions across the lifespan. We recommend that a searchable online compendium of intellectual disability nurse interventions be established and regularly updated. This will provide opportunities to engage more effectively in evidence-based practice.

Automated summary

The objective of this scoping review was to summarize the contribution of intellectual disabilities nurses to improve the health and well-being of individuals with intellectual disabilities, now and in the future. The findings highlight the importance of high-quality research in determining the impact and effectiveness of nursing interventions for individuals with intellectual disabilities. It is recommended to establish a searchable online compendium of intellectual disability nurse interventions for more effective evidence-based practice.