Patient Education and Teaching

There is a great need for nursing professionals to be able to intervene and advocate for patients with Down Syndrome and for parents who have received a new Down Syndrome diagnosis for their newborn or unborn child. There is current research indicating that members of the medical profession have been found lacking in advocacy and support when presenting a diagnosis of Down Syndrome to parents (see article at http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2005/03.03/27-down.html). These findings indicate an urgent need for nurses to step in and "fill the gap". Patient teaching materials can be found at: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=downsyndrome/show/Educational+resources