Nursing lived experience: Critical care ethics and intellectual developmental disabilities

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Intellectual Developmental Disabilities
• Critical Care

Background:

• Patients with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDDs) are a vulnerable population requiring specialized ICU care.
• ICU nurses often feel unprepared to provide this specialized care, leading to moral distress and reduced resilience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experiences of ICU nurses caring for patients with IDDs.
• To identify challenges and emotional tolls associated with this specialized nursing care.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, phenomenological qualitative approach was employed.
• Inductive analysis was used to interpret the experiences of 20 purposively sampled ICU nurses.

Main Results:

• Nurses reported insufficient IDD-specific training and knowledge gaps.
• Lack of resources and institutional support hindered appropriate care delivery.
• Nurses experienced significant emotional tolls, including self-doubt, isolation, and moral distress.

Conclusions:

• Findings reveal personal, educational, and systemic gaps in IDD care within ICUs.
• There is an urgent need for IDD-focused education, enhanced institutional support, and policy changes.
• Systemic changes are essential to empower nurses and improve care for IDD patients, aligning with the ethics of care framework.