Impact of an educational programme on nursing for children with developmental disabilities

A review of the literature indicates that people with developmental disabilities (DD) are viewed negatively by health care professionals, including nurses. Research in the area of attitudes of health care professionals towards this population suggest that education, exposure and experience in caring for people with DD help develop more positive attitudes, understanding and provision of higher quality care. The purpose of this programme was to enhance the quality of nursing care provided to children with DD and their families in hospital and community based frameworks. The programme included theoretical studies, clinical experiences, and implementation of nursing intervention plans. Twenty four nurses from a children's hospital and from the community participated in the programme. Evaluation carried out at the end of the course and six months later indicated that the programme enhanced their ability to provide quality care to the children with DD.