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

BACKGROUND

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.

METHODS

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.

RESULTS

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.

CONCLUSIONS

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.