“A little bit more challenging,but more rewarding”: Medical-surgical nurses’ perspectives on caring for adults with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Background: Despite their central role in hospital care, little research has explored medical-surgical nurses’ perspectives on the rewarding aspects of and significant influences on caring for adults with intellectual disabilities, even though they are key to understanding this population’s inequitable hospital outcomes. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used, and interviews were conducted with 13 medical-surgical nurses from the United States. Manifest content analysis was used to analyze the interview transcripts and categorize findings. Results: Five categories of significant influences: Preparedness to Care for People with Intellectual Disabilities, Communication, Caregiver Involvement, Ethical Concerns, and Context of Care, and four categories of rewards: Connecting, Making a Difference, Enjoyment, and Learning Opportunity, were revealed. Conclusion: Medical-surgical nurses derive meaning from connecting with and making a difference in the lives of hospitalized adults with intellectual disabilities, but face barriers to providing high-quality nursing care, resulting in dehumanized, delayed, or missed care.