Affiliation:
1. Professor of Nursing College of Nursing and Health Professions Drexel University Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA
2. Assistant Professor Community Nursing University of Massachusetts Dartmouth North Dartmouth Massachusetts USA
3. Professor Emerita of Learning Disability Nursing Faculty of Life Sciences and Education University of South Wales Pontypridd UK
4. Senior Lecturer – Learning Disabilities School of Nursing Midwifery and Social Work Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury UK
5. Assistant Professor in Intellectual Disability Nursing School of Nursing and Midwifery Trinity College Dublin Dublin Ireland
6. Course Leader/Senior Lecturer (Learning Disability Nursing) University of South Wales Pontypridd UK
Abstract
AbstractAimThis paper explains how we created the Global Intellectual Disability Nurse Research Collaboratory (GIDNRC), a transformative network. The GIDNRC aims to make improvements in the understanding, research, policy, clinical care, and support provided to people with an intellectual disability.BackgroundIn 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) called upon healthcare leaders internationally to take actions to promote more equal healthcare for disabled persons. This paper promotes the GIDNRC as a way for professionals to work together to make more equal healthcare throughout the world for people with intellectual disabilities.Sources of evidenceWe created this paper by reviewing peer‐reviewed literature and research, international policies, and nursing networking initiatives.DiscussionThis paper explores current policy, research, and practice issues that formed the basis of beginning the GIDNRC, including how the COVID‐19 pandemic changed care.ConclusionNurses are over 50% of the world's health workforce. Therefore, they have the potential to make a large impact in making care for people with intellectual disability much more equal than currently exists throughout the world. However, barriers exist. Forming the GIDNRC, as well as using the World Wide Web, offers an opportunity to address barriers to this goal.Implications for nursing practiceNurses can address the needs of people with intellectual disability in their daily nursing practice. The GIDNRC aims to strengthen these clinical skills, understand how care may vary throughout the world, and share knowledge, good practices, and new ways to approach care for people with an intellectual disability worldwide.Implications for nursing policyInternational nursing policy should actively focus on the needs of people with intellectual disabilities and the role nurses play in addressing these health needs. The GIDNRC may provide an important way to achieve developments in this policy.