A National Survey of Australian Nurses Who Work With People with Intellectual and Developmental Disability

This report forms Part 2 of a 3-year project led by the Professional Association of Nurses in Developmental Disability Australia (PANDDA) Inc., to redevelop the specialist practice standards for intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) nursing. Nurses play a vital role in the lives of many people with IDD, in particular those with complex support needs, such as chronic and complex physical or mental health problems. This survey aimed to: 1. provide a national overview of intellectual and developmental disability nursing; 2. describe in detail and with confidence exactly what it is that sets this field of nursing apart from other speciality areas; 3. unpack the diverse range of contexts that intellectual and developmental disability nurses are working within; and 4. accurately describe the size and composition of the intellectual and developmental disability nursing workforce in Australia.