Welcome the the Premiere Issue

By Ann Smith MSN, RN, CDDN

Welcome to the premiere issue, Historical and Global Perspectives, of the International Journal of Nursing in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IJNIDD)

The concept that led to the creation of this new electronic international journal stems from an experience as far back as the late 1950’s when this Editor was a student nurse in a pediatric setting, where it became obvious to me that nurses lacked appropriate knowledge and skill to effectively support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Despite advances in nursing education and society in general, the lack of adequate preparation for nurses who work in diverse practice settings is still apparent today.

As people with intellectual and developmental disabilities continue their pursuit of full participation in community life, educational opportunities must be made readily available for nurses in practice everywhere. The critical issue facing nursing today is how to provide cost effective and convenient access to both relevant and current information that will enhance the nursing services and supports to people who have intellectual/developmental disabilities, their family members, support staff and professionals who are part of community interdisciplinary teams.

To meet this challenge, the idea of producing an electronic nursing journal in intellectual and developmental disabilities began during my fellowship at the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at the Shriver Center in Waltham, Massachusetts. This exciting and challenging pursuit continued after LEND with the support of the Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association (DDNA), the Evergreen Center,Professional Education Resources and ConferenceServices (PERCS),and the journal’s Editorial Board.

The commencement of this journal represents the culmination of numerous hours of work and collaboration among volunteer Editorial Board members, authors, and peer reviewers from across the United States and other countries. The Board represents a broad spectrum of professionals and family members, who are strong advocates and experts in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. For the first time, we have a journal devoted primarily to intellectual/developmental disabilities nursing that will address this yet, unmet educational need of all nurses in this area.

This first issue, Historical and Global Perspectives , will enlighten nurses and other readers about:

• Intellectual and developmental disabilities as a nursing specialty
• Multimedia web-based courseware in intellectual and developmental disabilities nursing
• Nursing aspects of services for persons with intellectual disability in Israel
• Nursing services and education for nurseswithin the United Kingdom
• Services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Canada
• Services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in China (based on the personal experience of a parent from China and a US nurse)

 

Future issues of the journal will provide information in a scholarly manner on abroad range of topics, such as nursing practice, individual, family and caregiver partnerships, educational strategies, policy development, research and a wide variety of clinical subjects.

International Journal of Nursing in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilitiesis a free electronic peer reviewed journal that will offer new, readily available learningopportunities for nurses and other interested parties who meet people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The journal,which will bepublished at least semi-annually, will also provide an opportunity for international experts in the field of intellectual/developmental disabilities to share their vast wealth of knowledge with others, regardless of geographic location.

The Editorial Board welcomes interdisciplinary collaboration and international reader participation. Please join us in celebrating a dream that is finally realized with the ultimate goal of improving the health care supports for people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities across the life span in diverse practice settings worldwide.

Ann Smith, MSN, RN, CDDN has over thirty years experience in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities nursing and was among the first group of nurses to receive certification as a Certified Developmental Disabilities Nurse (CDDN). Her experience covers the life span of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in a variety of settings, including work with families of children and adults with (I/DD). Since 1982 she worked at the Evergreen Center in Milford, Massachusetts, where she served as Director of Health Services and now works part time as Health Services Advisor. She has been involved in various educational and advocacy roles and professional organizations. In the past she served as Secretary on the Board of Directors of Personal Advocacy and Lifetime Support (PALS) and Second Vice President of the Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association (DDNA). As a charter member and Treasurer of the Bay State Developmental Disabilities Nurse Network (BSDDNN), the regional network of DDNA, she also held positions as Vice President and President of BSDDNN. Ann completed a fellowship in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program at the Shriver Center in Waltham, Massachusetts, where she participated with other LEND Fellows as co-editor of the community membership issue and later was guest editor of the genetics issue of the on-line journal, Leadership Perspectives in Developmental Disability. When she was a LEND Fellow, her vision regarding the need to educate all nurses in the area of intellectual and developmental disabilities led to the initiation of the development of the International Journal of Nursing in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.