Experiences and Preparedness of Nursing Students and Recent Nurse Graduates Delivering Cardiovascular Health Promotion for People Living With Intellectual Disabilities.

内容摘要

Nurses often lack training and self-confidence to provide care for people living with intellectual disabilities. We explored experiences and levels of preparedness among junior nurses trained to deliver cardiovascular health promotion to Special Olympics athletes. A qualitative descriptive approach was used among junior nurses (n = 20) who participated in the delivery of a cardiovascular health promotion intervention, with semi-structured individual interviews or focus-group discussions and qualitative content analysis. Nurses showed evidence of advanced beginner and competent levels of expertise in their approaches to Special Olympics athletes in relation to 5 themes linked to strengths-based nursing and health (SBNH) values: Endorsing person-centeredness; Fostering self-determination and empowerment; Building collaborative partnerships; Recognising interconnections between athletes and their surroundings; and Seizing learning opportunities. Junior nurses who participated in this cardiovascular health promotion initiative perceived the experience as educationally enriching, advocating for practical, real-life opportunities to better prepare them to deliver health promotion care for special-needs populations.