What Does It Mean to be a Nurse at Keystone Human Services?

At Keystone Human Services, our nurses are part of one of the most specialized, relationship-driven areas of nursing practice. Supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and mental health disorders is not simply a side specialty of nursing. It is nursing in one of its purest and most human forms. 

Unique from nurses who work in acute care settings or clinics, KHS nurses have the privilege of practicing relationship-based care across the lifespan. Our nurses come to know each person who chooses to receive our supports, not just their diagnoses. This relationship-based care means that people are seen and treated as a whole person.

Over the years – sometimes decades – nurses build relationships and understanding with each person, learning things like their health history and medication lists, but also their strengths, family members, communication style, sense of humor, sensory needs, personal preferences, goals, and dreams. That long-term perspective allows nurses to advocate, practice true person-centered care, and deliver health and wellness support that is deeply individualized.

A Person- and Family-Centered Approach

A core principle of developmental disability and mental health nursing is that individuals remain at the center of their own care. KHS nurses prioritize a person-centered and family-centered approach to ensure that each person and their natural supports guild health-related decisions. The focus is not on allowing systems to override individual needs, but on supporting health, safety, and risk mitigation to enable people to live well. Care is grounded in strengths, possibility, and wellness, with the goal of supporting each person’s vision of a meaningful and fulfilling life. 

Interprofessional Collaboration

At KHS, nursing is inseparable from the multidisciplinary team. Physical health, mental health, behavior, sensory needs, environment, and daily routines all intersect. Healthy living cannot be separated from behavioral health. A person’s body cannot be treated without understanding the person inside it. KHS nurses collaborate daily with direct support professionals, quality management, behavior specialists, operations teams, primary care providers, psychiatrists, families, and communities. This team approach ensures that any issues or concerns are not looked at in isolation. The whole care team works together to draw connections and develop a plan. 

For example in Delaware, a day in the life of a nurse could include teaching the Limited Lay Administration of Medications (LLAM) training, a certification course for direct support staff to be able to administer certain medications, providing assistance and routine audits with Electronic Medication Administration Records (eMAR), reviewing cycle medications for accuracy, meeting new individuals, and attending total patient care meetings, among many other things.

Expertise in Complex and Specialized Health Needs

KHS nurses develop expertise in the unique health risks, diagnoses, and medication regimens commonly associated with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and frequently co-occurring mental health conditions. They stay current with evidence-based treatments and medications, applying that knowledge within daily living environments. Their role bridges clinical knowledge with practical implementation, ensuring care plans are both medically sound and realistic.

Advancing Health Equity and Access

KHS nurses play an important role in advancing health equity, partnering with other healthcare professionals to improve understanding of how to provide effective, respectful care to individuals with disabilities. Nurses advocate for access to preventive care, primary care, and specialty services while also supporting people to develop skills for self-advocacy within healthcare settings. The goal is to promote equitable access, patient-centered experiences, and the best possible health outcomes.

Through specialized knowledge, long-term relationships, interprofessional collaboration, and a strong commitment to person-centered care, KHS nurses support not only health and safety but overall wellness and quality of life for the people they serve.