Caring for the Adult with Developmental Disability
Course #36644 - $30 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
Adults with developmental disabilities are living longer and are likely to be living in the community. They may have a variety of health problems and may be seen in any healthcare setting from acute care to nursing homes. There are few nursing education curricula that teach nurses how to best provide care for these individuals. This course will discuss health problems that may occur in adults with developmental disabilities and suggest approaches to care for them. In addition, this course will discuss health maintenance needs, changes related to aging, and the ethics involved in providing care to the 7 million people in the United States with developmental disabilities.
This course is designed for all nurses, especially those who are or may be caring for adults with developmental disabilities.
The purpose of this course is to provide specific information about some of the unique physical and mental health problems that may occur in adults with developmental disabilities and to suggest approaches to care that will best ensure compliance and cooperation.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Define intellectual disability, mental retardation, and developmental disability.
- Cite specific barriers in providing optimal health care to patients with developmental disabilities.
- Discuss health conditions that commonly occur with specific types of developmental disabilities.
- Explain mental health problems that may occur with intellectual disability.
- Identify pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches to treating mental health issues in those with developmental disabilities.
- Discuss approaches to providing quality care to adults with developmental disabilities, including techniques for working with families and caregivers.
Connie Vogel, PhD, ANP, is a clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric nursing and a nurse educator. She holds a Master's degree in Psychiatric Nursing and a doctorate in Family Studies. Her primary clinical focus is geriatric psychiatry. She has worked in Veteran's Affairs facilities, managed care, mental health centers, and private psychiatric practice. She currently resides in Colorado, where she works as a consultant and in teaching an online MSN program.
Contributing faculty, Connie Vogel, PhD, ANP, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Jane C. Norman, RN, MSN, CNE, PhD
The division planner has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.