February 2024: TCAID: In Focus - Darren Fitzpatrick, Intellectual Disability Nursing Student

Darren Fitzpatrick

Intellectual Disability Nursing Student

BA (Mod.), M.Res, PhD, CertHE, Sch.

Darren Fitzpatrick is currently a third year student of Intellectual Disability Nursing at Trinity where he was elected a scholar in 2023. Darren originally worked as a research geneticist having completed his initial studies at Trinity followed by postgraduate study at York and UCD. In 2021, after some reflection during the Covid-19 lockdown, Darren returned to Trinity to study nursing. His interests in this area include physical health, health inequalities, marginalisation and social inclusion, and statistical methods.

Supported by his supervisor, Dr. Eilish Burke, Darren began a research placement with IDS-TILDA in the Summer of 2021 where he researched the epidemiology of constipation in older people with intellectual disability in Ireland. Here Darren employed a cross-sectional approach to examine the influence that factors such as demographics, morbidity, physical activity, diet and hydration have on a person’s constipation status. The research, recently published in the Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability indicates that constipation is highly prevalent, affecting 43.5% of participants. Factors that influence constipation status are being female, living in a residential setting, having a severe/profound level of intellectual disability, a low-fat diet, high cholesterol, the number of medical conditions a person has and physical activity where even minimal activity has a positive effect.

Darren continues to disseminate his work at conferences and is currently finalising a follow-up study that examined factors that influence the severity of constipation in older people over time. Of his experience of intellectual disability nursing and research at IDS-TILDA, Darren says,

“Returning to university to study intellectual disability nursing has opened a whole new world to me. Like all nursing disciplines, intellectual disability nursing is concerned with health but is so in the context of serving a population which is often marginalised and forgotten. As well as becoming a nurse, I am learning to communicate with, empower and give voice to a hidden population. Also, I get to spend my placements in the company of sincere, non-judgemental, joyful people – I wish everyone could see what I get to see. My research placement in IDS-TILDA has given me the chance to meet people dedicated to affecting positive change. The research here is truly values driven, where participation from everyone, student, service user and academic is encouraged and facilitated. It’s a very positive environment in which to work.”

Dr. Darren Fitzpatrick, Intellectual Disability Nursing Student

Recently published journal article in Open Access- Available now!

Epidemiology of constipation and its associated factors in an ageing population of people with an intellectual disability in Ireland: A cross-sectional study