Nursing care for children with developmental disabilities in Israel, Part II: Programs illustrating the expanding role of the nurse.

Abstract

Abstract In Israel, the role of the nurse in the care of the child with a developmental disability and the family is gradually changing. This new role is the result of developments in the field of developmental disabilities and, in nursing education, with the initiation of academic nursing programs. These academic nursing programs have influenced nursing practice throughout the country. This influence is reflected by the growing number of applied projects and programs initiated by graduate nurses in their respective fields. A number of these programs relating to the field of chronic illness and developmental disabilities in children have been adopted as ongoing services by the various health settings. However, if the nursing profession in Israel wishes to enhance the knowledge of the nurses in the field of developmental disabilities, this knowledge base must become an integral part of the curriculum in basic and postbasic nursing courses. Thus, the nurses will acquire basic knowledge and skills necessary to effectively care for the child with a developmental disability in different health settings. Nurses both in hospitals and community settings are in the position to detect deviations from normal functioning and development. Therefore, with the appropriate training and skills, they can offer the family support and guidance and help them in caring for the handicapped child at home (Waechter, Phillips, & Holaday, 1985). An underlying assumption in the care of teh child with a developmental disability is that the child is first a child and then a child with a disability. Consequently, nurses with their specific expertise can provide interventions that relate not only to the cognitive impairment but to all the basic health and psychosocial needs of the child. In caring for persons with developmental disabilities, the nurse works closely with the parents who are in the best position to identify needs, set goals and objectives, and implement intervention programs (Smith, Goodman, Lockwood, & Pasternack, 1982). A holistic approach to the child and family is crucial in order to help the family cope with the handicap and its many implications. The nursing intervention should start with the announcement of the diagnosis and continue throughout the life span of the child. Through close collaboration with professionals in other fields, the nurse can help children with a developmental disability to develop, grow, fulfill their potential, and become participants in society. Nurses in Israel are becoming more aware of their potential capabilities as service providers for this disabled population and their contribution to the field of developmental disability in general.