Julian N Trollor1, Claire Eagleson2, Beth Turner3, Carmela Salomon4, Andrew Cashin5, Teresa Iacono6, Linda Goddard7, Nicholas Lennox8. 1. Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN), School of Psychiatry, UNSW Australia, 34 Botany Street, Randwick, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: j.trollor@unsw.edu.au. 2. Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN), School of Psychiatry, UNSW Australia, 34 Botany Street, Randwick, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: c.eagleson@unsw.edu.au. 3. Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN), School of Psychiatry, UNSW Australia, 34 Botany Street, Randwick, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: beth-turner@live.com. 4. Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN), School of Psychiatry, UNSW Australia, 34 Botany Street, Randwick, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: c.salomon@unsw.edu.au. 5. School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Electronic address: Andrew.cashin@scu.edu.au. 6. La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, PO Box 199, Bendigo, VIC 3552, Australia. Electronic address: t.iacono@latrobe.edu.au. 7. Department of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, United Kingdom. Electronic address: goddarl3@lsbu.ac.uk. 8. Queensland Centre for Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mater Research Institute/The University of Queensland, Mater Hospitals, Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia. Electronic address: n.lennox@uq.edu.au.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Individuals with intellectual disability experience chronic and complex health issues, but face considerable barriers to healthcare. One such barrier is inadequate education of healthcare professionals. OBJECTIVE: To establish the quantity and nature of intellectual disability content offered within Australian nursing degree curricula. DESIGN: A two-phase national audit of nursing curriculum content was conducted using an interview and online survey. SETTING: Australian nursing schools offering pre-registration courses. PARTICIPANTS: Pre-registration course coordinators from 31 universities completed the Phase 1 interview on course structure. Unit coordinators and teaching staff from 15 universities in which intellectual disability content was identified completed the Phase 2 online survey. METHODS: Quantity of compulsory and elective intellectual disability content offered (units and teaching time) and the nature of the content (broad categories, specific topics, and inclusive teaching) were audited using an online survey. RESULTS: Over half (52%) of the schools offered no intellectual disability content. For units of study that contained some auditable intellectual disability content, the area was taught on average for 3.6h per unit of study. Units were evenly distributed across the three years of study. Just three participating schools offered 50% of all units audited. Clinical assessment skills, and ethics and legal issues were most frequently taught, while human rights issues and preventative health were poorly represented. Only one nursing school involved a person with intellectual disability in content development or delivery. CONCLUSION: Despite significant unmet health needs of people with intellectual disability, there is considerable variability in the teaching of key intellectual disability content, with many gaps evident. Equipping nursing students with skills in this area is vital to building workforce capacity. Crown
BACKGROUND: Individuals with intellectual disability experience chronic and complex health issues, but face considerable barriers to healthcare. One such barrier is inadequate education of healthcare professionals. OBJECTIVE: To establish the quantity and nature of intellectual disability content offered within Australian nursing degree curricula. DESIGN: A two-phase national audit of nursing curriculum content was conducted using an interview and online survey. SETTING: Australian nursing schools offering pre-registration courses. PARTICIPANTS: Pre-registration course coordinators from 31 universities completed the Phase 1 interview on course structure. Unit coordinators and teaching staff from 15 universities in which intellectual disability content was identified completed the Phase 2 online survey. METHODS: Quantity of compulsory and elective intellectual disability content offered (units and teaching time) and the nature of the content (broad categories, specific topics, and inclusive teaching) were audited using an online survey. RESULTS: Over half (52%) of the schools offered no intellectual disability content. For units of study that contained some auditable intellectual disability content, the area was taught on average for 3.6h per unit of study. Units were evenly distributed across the three years of study. Just three participating schools offered 50% of all units audited. Clinical assessment skills, and ethics and legal issues were most frequently taught, while human rights issues and preventative health were poorly represented. Only one nursing school involved a person with intellectual disability in content development or delivery. CONCLUSION: Despite significant unmet health needs of people with intellectual disability, there is considerable variability in the teaching of key intellectual disability content, with many gaps evident. Equipping nursing students with skills in this area is vital to building workforce capacity. Crown
Authors: Ruth Northway; Stuart Todd; Katherine Hunt; Paula Hopes; Rachel Morgan; Julia Shearn; Rhian Worth; Jane Bernal Journal: J Res Nurs Date: 2018-07-03