Barriers Associated With Acute Care Setting
Among the barriers encountered with healthcare providers
in the acute care setting is the lack of knowledge
regarding this population and their special needs.
Contributing factors identified by nurses are the lack of
education and clinical experience with this population
in formal nursing education programs ( Fisher et al.,
2012 ). The unpredictable behaviors and communication
deficits of the I/DD patient affect the nurses’ comfort
level, which negatively impacts the quality of
healthcare provided (Fisher et al., 2012). Another
barrier encountered in the acute care setting is time.
Caring for persons with I/DD can become time intensive
for the nurse who is already overburdened with patient
assignments. All of these factors contribute to the frustration
experienced by the acute care nurse who provides
care for the patient with I/DD.