Demographic profile of the intellectual disability nursing workforce in Australia: Findings from a national survey
Authors
Peter Lewis
James Collison
Lisa Whitehead, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Virginia Howie
Sarah Feighan
Michele Wiese
Kate O’Reilly
Hayden Jaques
Nathan J. Wilson
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Nursing and Midwifery / Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Services Research
RAS ID
31359
Abstract
Background: Nurses provide technical and relational skills that are integral to the care of people with intellectual disability (ID) in Australia. However, little is known about the demographic profile of this section of the nursing workforce. Method: Administration of a survey to nurses whose primary role it is to care for people with ID nationwide Results: This brief report provides a description of the demographics of participants in the national survey. Of 101 participants, 78% were women and the mean age was 53.21 years. Participants held a variety of educational qualifications to prepare them for the care of people with ID. Conclusion: The findings suggest the need to consider the future unmet needs of people with ID given the ageing of this workforce. The ongoing support needs of people with ID depend upon the ongoing presence of nurses well prepared to meet the need of this group of people.
DOI
10.3109/13668250.2019.1685478
Access Rights
subscription content
Comments
Lewis, P., Collison, J., Whitehead, L., Howie, V., Feighan, S., Wiese, M., ... & Wilson, N. J. (2020). Demographic profile of the intellectual disability nursing workforce in Australia: Findings from a national survey. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2019.1685478