Module 10: Preparing Patients with IDD for In-Patient Procedures: How to Reduce Anxiety and Facilitate Cooperation

Introduction to the Module

You will be introduced to best practices to help hospitalized patients with IDD cope with hospital procedures and ways to provide them with comfort and support to reduce the potentially harmful use of chemical and physical restraints.

Introduction of the Subject Matter Experts: 

Dr. Beth Kiss, DNP, RN FNP-BC

Dr. Beth Kiss is the Adult Nurse Practitioner at the Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing and an Associate Professor for the Wegmans School of Nursing at St. John Fisher University. Dr. Kiss has led the development of a model for the integration of content on intellectual and developmental disabilities into undergraduate nursing programs. She has been involved in grant initiatives to support individuals with developmental disabilities and published in peer-reviewed nursing journals on topics such as nursing practice partnerships, nursing leadership, infectious diseases, skin care, and developmental disabilities. She is a Nurse Practitioner in Surgical Oncology at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Dr. Deborah Napolitano, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA

Dr. Napolitano (Debbi) is an Associate Professor in the Applied Behavior Analysis Department at Daemen University and Adjunct Faculty at the Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing at St. John Fisher University. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental and Child Psychology and is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. She also has a long history of working with families and staff supporting children with IDD and as an expert in assessment and treatment for challenging behavior, drug and behavior interactions, and interprofessional collaboration.

What you will learn:   

1. Identify best practices for preparing patients with IDD for their experience in the hospital
2. Describe non-pharmacological calming strategies for hospitalized patients with IDD
3. Identify pharmacological interventions for the reduction of anxiety for hospitalized patients with IDD
4. Describe strategies to help the Case Study patient cope with procedures
5. List actions that may eliminate the use of restraints with hospitalized patients with IDD
6. Describe the negative outcomes associated with the use of chemical and/or physical restraints
7. Describe a safe process for the application and monitoring of physical restraints if required 
8. Identify risks associated with the use of physical restraints
9. Identify risks associated with the use of negative outcomes associated with the use of chemical restraints