Vol. 562 No. 6
23 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will consider changing the designation of mental handicap nursing and registered mental handicap nurse to more appropriate terms such as learning disability nursing and registered learning disability nurse, especially as this is the Year of People with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6660/03]
The working group on the role of the mental handicap nurse was established by the Department of Health in July 1995. One of its aims was to review the role of the mental handicap nurse from a health service management perspective in preparation for the development of a diploma programme in mental handicap nurse training. One of its terms of reference was to make a recommendation as to the appropriate title under which a mental handicap nurse should register.
The question of the title under which a mental handicap nurse should register was addressed in all of the submissions received by the working group. All of the submissions requested that the word "nurse" be retained in the title. There were various interpretations of what other words should be included in the title such as registered mental handicap nurse, registered learning disability nurse, registered nurse for mental handicap, registered nurse for the intellectually disabled, and registered nurse (mental handicap).
