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Nurses' role in caring for people with a comorbidity of mental illness and intellectual disability: A literature review
Author(s) -
Taua Chris,
Hepworth Julie,
Neville Christine
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
international journal of mental health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.911
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1447-0349
pISSN - 1445-8330
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0349.2011.00779.x
Subject(s) - inclusion (mineral) , mental illness , psychological intervention , promotion (chess) , nursing , intellectual disability , multidisciplinary team , mental health , medicine , multidisciplinary approach , medline , psychiatry , psychology , social psychology , social science , sociology , politics , political science , law
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.