An Investigation of Nursing Staff Attitudes and Emotional Reactions Towards Patients with Intellectual Disability in a General Hospital Setting

Abstract

Background It has been suggested that inequalities in health care for people with intellectual disabilities may be partly explained by negative attitudes of health professionals. This study aimed to investigate the attitudes and emotional reactions reported by nursing staff working in general hospitals towards caring for patients with intellectual disabilities. Method Attitudes and emotional reactions were measured using a self‐report, vignette style questionnaire, tested for validity and reliability. Attitudes towards patients with physical disabilities were also assessed to act as a comparison. Results Nursing staff reported less positive attitudes, more negative emotions and fewer positive emotions, in response to caring for a patient with an intellectual disability compared to a patient with a physical disability. Occupational status (registered general nurse, student nurse, nursing assistant) had no effect upon respondents reported attitudes or emotions. Finally, attitudinal and emotional variables were significantly correlated, with positive emotions being associated with more favourable attitudes. Conclusions Although caution needs to be exercised when inferring actual behaviour from attitudes expressed, it is suggested that the presence of less positive attitudes and feelings amongst nursing staff towards patients with intellectual disabilities may affect the quality of care. Recommendations for future research and service development includes: the need to focus upon improving attitudes of nursing staff through training, and increased joint working between acute care services and Community Intellectual Disability Teams.

Mainstream health professionals' stigmatising attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review

“…Most nurses viewed people with ID as more difficult to care for than people with physical disabilities because they would less easily comply with requests, would be more easily distressed, would be more emotional, possibly aggressive and less cooperative (Lewis & Stenfert‐Kroese ). Similarly, GPs in a qualitative study by Wilkinson et al () perceived people with ID as different and somewhat intimidating.…”

“…In a comparable study, nurses indicated that they were on average more willing to place people with ID on a side ward than people with physical disabilities. The same group of nurses would also avoid invasive interventions more easily with people with ID than people with physical disabilities because they would be more difficult to carry out (Lewis & Stenfert‐Kroese ).…”

“…For example, primary care staff and hospital staff indicated that people with ID have the same rights for health services as other people (McIlfatrick et al ). Next, professionals reported positive feelings about providing care for people with ID (Gill et al ; Lewis & Stenfert‐Kroese ; Wilkinson et al ; Flynn et al ) and, in one study, even perceived their contacts with people with ID as stimulating experiences (Slevin & Sines ). Despite these positive attitudes, the ideal of inclusion in mainstream healthcare services for people with ID is not considered as being sufficiently achieved (Krahn et al ).…”

A narrative review of acute care nurses’ experiences nursing patients with intellectual disability: underprepared, communication barriers and ambiguity about the role of caregivers

“…Formal education or training as an ideal preparation for nurses delivering care to people with ID in hospital is a prominent discourse within the literature reviewed (e.g. Lewis & Stenfert‐Kroese , Merrifield , Aston et al . ,b, Cooper et al .…”

Learning Disability Liaison Nursing Services in south‐east Scotland: a mixed‐methods impact and outcome study

“…2004; Sowney & Barr 2007; Gibbs et al . 2008; NHS Quality Improvement Scotland 2009; Lewis & Stenfert‐Kroese 2010). Much of the literature in this area comes from the UK; however, there have been two Australian studies that broadly identify the same issues (Iacono & Davis 2003; Webber et al .…”