Working with individuals with intellectual disabilities

BrandonLPN, LPN · Oct 13, 2012

The title of the thread made me think you were talking about coworkers.... :)

studentnurse1992 · Oct 13, 2012

The title of the thread made me think you were talking about coworkers.... :)

haha didn't realize this until now

Ruas61, BSN, RN · Oct 13, 2012

Yes there are positions in the field of group homes for such. In Minnesota there is REM. I believe it is nationwide.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Oct 13, 2012

I knew what you meant. There are a lot of Adult Day programs that hire nurses and serve primarily people with intellectual disabilities. You could also work at a school for children with special needs or at a group home.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 13, 2012

Back in 2000 and 2001, I worked as a direct care staff member (a.k.a. uncertified aide) in a group home that housed six adults with developmental disabilities.

The owner of this group home also owned four to five other group homes in the city that housed adults with developmental disabilities. They had one RN who would frequently visit the group homes, and another RN who worked in the corporate office.

I also worked at a group home owned by United Cerebral Palsy many years ago, and they employed LPNs to perform skills such as breathing treatments, medication administration, simple wound care, and reporting of changes in condition.

brownbook · Oct 13, 2012

I am no expert but I think "nursing" in this field is more administrative paperwork jobs as opposed to hands on care given by aides or techs.

Working in more of a one on one, hands on area, with people with disabilities, outside of CNA's, would be physical, occupational, or speech therapists.

Bless you for wanting to work in this area, my grandson is severly intellectually disabled and I worry about what type of group home or living situation he will be in in the future.

Staragate, ADN, ASN, RN · Oct 13, 2012

One of the things I would like to do when I get started as an RN is to look into being an Autism Educator. I've worked with this population as an aide and feel that I can explain the thought process to people who have little experience with it. I don't think I can swing it as a full time job, but would love to give inservices on it part time.

DDD- Department of Departmental Disabilities is a government agency that oversees the care of this population. Almost every state has a DDD agency. A friend of mine is a LPN who checks in on clients who go to the hospital to make sure their unique needs are met.

studentnurse1992 · Oct 13, 2012

I am no expert but I think "nursing" in this field is more administrative paperwork jobs as opposed to hands on care given by aides or techs.
Working in more of a one on one, hands on area, with people with disabilities, outside of CNA's, would be physical, occupational, or speech therapists.
Bless you for wanting to work in this area, my grandson is severly intellectually disabled and I worry about what type of group home or living situation he will be in in the future.

Thank you. The camp that I worked at this summer was one of the best experiences I've had in my life. A lot of the guests at the camp were in group homes that were not well run at all and I was disgusted with how the group home workers treated these people.

It was really a life changing experience that I don't think many people can do.

Staragate, ADN, ASN, RN · Oct 14, 2012

I mistyped. It's Department of DEVELOPMENTAL Disabilities. Sorry.

SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS · Oct 14, 2012

Thank you. The camp that I worked at this summer was one of the best experiences I've had in my life. A lot of the guests at the camp were in group homes that were not well run at all and I was disgusted with how the group home workers treated these people.
It was really a life changing experience that I don't think many people can do.

In the past, many people with DD were housed in terrible facilities that were like nursing homes. Now that more people are in more home-like group homes there are fewer nurses per se needed (as in, medication aides and CNA's or HHA's work more in those settings) but there are still going to be social service agencies and day programs. You might check with the staff at the camp where you worked as they should know the network in your area. A nurse might do inservices for the clients, inservices for new staff, flu shot clinics, sex ed, all kinds of things.

DDDNurse · Dec 1, 2012

I work for DDD, I absolutely love the work!! The politics, not so much.