Redeveloping the professional practice standards for nursing people with intellectual disability (ID) : mapping the diversity of ID nursing practice

Background: To review the existing landscape of professional nursing practice standards in the Australian context, and to explore how they can inform the future development of ID-specific professional practice standards. Method: A search was undertaken of all speciality nursing associations in Australia for registered nurses professional practice standards. Available standards were analysed for their content and structure, followed by a thematic mapping against the existing professional practice standards for ID nursing. Results: Many professional practice standards for registered nurses are broadly reflective of the over-arching professional standards that govern nursing, but often use different terminology. Commonly mapped practice domains are: professional practice, clinical practice, interdisciplinary coordination, professional development, quality research, and clinical and community leadership. The ID professional practice standards have several major gaps, but are strongly focussed on meeting individualised needs. Conclusions: To better meet the health and wellbeing needs of people with ID, future ID registered nursing standards must evolve and be more reflective of the diverse practice contexts and differences between ID nursing and other professional practice areas.