Demographic profile of nurses who work with people with intellectual and developmental disability in Australia

Introduction: Nurses caring specifically for people with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) are difficult to locate in the industrial landscape in Australia, and little is known about this workforce or the important support role they play. This project sought to locate nurses who primarily work with people with IDD in Australia and describe their demographic characteristics. Methods: Using a national register of service providers, we conducted an anonymous online survey for three months in late 2018 designed to locate nurses working primarily with people with IDD. Results: Ninety-five participants completed the national survey. Seventy-nine respondents worked mainly with people with IDD. Of these 77% were women and most were registered nurses (88.5%). Most (73%) were employed on a full-time basis. On average, the participants had been registered for 28.82 years (SD =12.52) and on average had worked with people with IDD for 19.85 (SD =13.27) years. Most participants (61%) were educated to bachelor's degree level or higher and 55% also reported holding additional IDD specific qualification. Implications: Preliminary results suggest that nurses currently working with people with IDD are highly experienced and well-educated. But this workforce is ageing and its collective knowledge and experience is unlikely to be replaced quickly. The policy challenge for Australian nursing will be attracting and retaining nurses skilled in caring for people with IDD.