[KayceeLeeRN]

Hello all! I am offically a MR/DD nurse! I start next week @ a residential program! I did one year med/surg but I always knew this is what I wanted, I just love working with the population. I find it to be very rewarding and fullfilling work.

Any tips for a nurse new to this...books I should read, advice?

Thanks

[nanacarol]

I was a nurse in MR/DD for 9 years and it was the most rewarding and challenging position I ever had. The greatest challenge was getting those caring for this population to value their strengths. Always be honest with the client and share/accept information/help from the program discipline as well as the behavioral specialists. Nana

[debrncddn]

Welcome to the wonderful and rewarding world of MR/DD nursing! I specialized in geriatric nursing the first few years I was in the nursing profession but found that my first real true love professionally is working with medically fragile individuals with special needs. It is very beneficial for a nurse new to this field to become a member of the Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association. The annual conference is coming up in June in Connecticut and is a huge learning and networking experience. My advice to anyone in this field is to keep learning and researching. There are advances and opportunities to learn something new each day. When I first got into this field I used the Life Span approach to nursing care for individuals with Developmental Disabilites for learning more. Most states have regional associations for nurses in this field. Good luck! I hope you find that you are as passionate about this field as I am.