'The invisibility of the nurse's role with people who have intellectual disabilities and their families'

Abstract: Background: Aim: To explore the role and education of nurses in the area of intellectual disability in Australia over the last 40 years. Methods: To carry out a search strategy of articles from Australia and overseas. Results: The literature identifies the changes in service provision for people with intellectual disabilities, the key roles and strengths of nurses in this area and the lack of education of undergraduate nurses today. It highlights the impact of these changes on people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Conclusions: Based on this review there is a need to identify the skills of nurses in the area of intellectual disabilities in Australia and to make them transparent to service providers and families. Strategies are required that inform educational facilities regarding the undergraduate and post graduate education of nurses and other health professionals.