"A little bit more challenging, but more rewarding": Medical-surgical nurses' perspectives on caring for adults with intellectual disabilities

Despite their central role in hospital care, little research has explored medical-surgical nurses' perspectives on the rewarding aspects of and significant influences on caring for adults with intellectual disabilities, even though they are key to understanding this population's inequitable hospital outcomes. A qualitative descriptive design was used, and interviews were conducted with 13 medical-surgical nurses from the United States. Manifest content analysis was used to analyze the interview transcripts and categorize findings. Five categories of significant influences: Preparedness to Care for People with Intellectual Disabilities, Communication, Caregiver Involvement, Ethical Concerns, and Context of Care, and four categories of rewards: Connecting, Making a Difference, Enjoyment, and Learning Opportunity, were revealed. Medical-surgical nurses derive meaning from connecting with and making a difference in the lives of hospitalized adults with intellectual disabilities, but face barriers to providing high-quality nursing care, resulting in dehumanized, delayed, or missed care.