Learning Disability Practice

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Photo of nursing student checking finances with calculator

How much money does a nursing student need to live on?

What amount do they need, how much financial support do they get – and is it enough?

Photo of NMC plaque, illustrating a story about a fitness to practice panel hearing in which a mental health nurse was struck off for lack of safeguarding of a vulnerable patient

Struck off: nurse whose basic care failures left vulnerable patient in near-death state

Mental health nurse neglected to take action to protect service user

Chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget will allocate £1.5 billion for new surgical hubs and scanners, alongside £70 million for new radiotherapy machines

Our poll reveals nurses want pay rise like junior doctors, as NHS gets budget boost

Nursing Standard poll shows majority support demands for 22% rise and reject current award

Around 350 nurses who graduated from the University of Brighton from 2019 onwards have been told they could be 160 hours short of necessary supervised practice hours by the Nursing and Midwifery Council

Nurse graduates: anger over NMC practice hours debacle

Regulator says many did not complete placement hours required over two years after graduating

Six London NHS trusts acknowledged instances where unregistered internationally educated nurses wore ‘staff nurse’ badges between 2021 and 2023

False job titles: trusts gave nurse badges to unregistered international recruits

Overseas recruits at six trusts wore ‘staff nurse’ badges before passing competency tests

NHS sickness absence: a nurse looks apprehensive as she faces two people at a formal meeting

Sickness absence: what to expect from a formal meeting

Find out how to prepare and how to get support to help you return to work

Evidence and Practice

Exploring the barriers to identification of chronic pain in people with learning disabilities

Barriers to identifying chronic pain in people with learning disabilities

Health inequalities and lack of research prevent chronic pain from being managed

Exploring practice leadership in intellectual disability services: a concept analysis

Exploring practice leadership in intellectual disability services: a concept analysis

Essential attributes are to embed service values, be person-oriented and deliver active...

Effects of learning disability and autism training on healthcare professionals’ perspectives and practice: a scoping review

Effects of learning disability and autism training on healthcare professionals

Knowledge, confidence and screening behaviours are all potential benefits

Promoting transformational leadership in learning disability nursing

Promoting transformational leadership in learning disability nursing

How nurses can apply this to their practice and stimulate colleagues to aim for improved...

Dementia in people with learning disabilities

Your quick-read article summary

Supporting autistic refugees in the UK using the HOPE(S) model

Supporting autistic refugees in the UK using the HOPE(S) model

Focusing on the harmful effects of solitary confinement on autistic refugees

Features

A smiling woman appears deep in thought as she looks at her reflection in a mirror

How I used reflective practice to improve care for people with learning disabilities

Nurses share how they have used reflection to change and improve everyday practice

 Nurse behind seated patient stoops slightly and has her hands on his shoulders to express warmth and reassurance. Touch is a powerful way to show compassion in nursing

Using touch to show compassion: tailoring non-verbal communication to the individual

Judging when it’s appropriate to touch a patient or relative – and when it’s not

Illustration featuring five different NHS uniform tunic colours, from left to right: indigo, green, sea blue, navy blue and light blue

Uniform approach: what we like about our standardised scrubs

Nurses from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the pros of their nations’ uniforms

Illustration shows healthcare staff around a table formed from a clock face to suggest a team approach to rostering

Rostering: could more control over your shift timings transform your work-life balance?

Team-based rostering pilots point to improved staff retention and greater collaboration

Community nurse arrives at man’s front door. The two greet each other, suggesting a they share a warm bond

Bonding with long-term patients: promoting continuity of care within healthy boundaries

Tips on fostering ongoing therapeutic relationships while avoiding undue attachment

A dynamic illustration of a strand of DNA looking like a blue spiralling ladder with a section highlighted in pink

Rare neurodevelopmental disorders: what you need to know

Getting to know the characteristics of rare disorders can improve patient care

Opinion

Heterosexual couple in their thirties sitting on the floor and looking at each other with relaxed expressions but crossed arms, suggesting an attempt at communication 

How can I get my partner to understand the pressures and demands of my job?

Advice on how to prevent the challenges of nursing from creating tensions at home

The RCN has proposed newly registered nurses start on band 6: close-up of a nurse holding a tablet receiving instructions from a more senior nurse on a ward

Should newly registered nurses start on band 6?

Band 6 starting point would aid recruitment, but may be too much too soon, says our panel

Newly qualified nurses are having to seek employment elsewhere to make ends meet, such as in coffee shops or in retail. Picture shows a female barista making coffee

New nurses working in Starbucks: is this still a career for life?

We have new registrants unable to get NHS jobs, despite chronic nurse shortages

Students

Nursing students facing money worries: someone counting cash in their hands, including a £20 note, a £5 note and five £1 coins

Student finances: what am I entitled to and how can I access it?

Advice on available funding, benefits, childcare support and hardship funds

Action plans for nursing students: a student sits at a desk with an instructor, listening as a point is explained

What is an action plan and why might I need one?

What it means to have an action plan as a nursing student and how they can help you learn

Not all nursing students will have the opportunity to practise venepuncture and cannulation on clinical placement. A nurse is shown performing venepuncture on an older patient

Venepuncture and cannulation: how can I master these essential skills?

Our panel offers practical tips for students on building your confidence and ability

Careers

Studying for a master’s degree: a young woman makes notes in a library with a stack of books on her desk

How can I juggle studying for a master’s degree with my day job?

The post-grad qualification is often needed for senior roles. Tips on how to achieve it

Narcissistic personality traits include self-worth being a top priority. Magnifying glass hovers over words in black on a page and focuses on the word ME, which is highlighted in red

What to do if a co-worker always thinks they know best

How a disregard for others can affect morale and what ‘narcissistic behaviour’ means

Nurses making a direct appeal to their employer over pay can seek union and colleagues’ support to build their case

I don’t work in the NHS, so how do I negotiate my own pay deal?

Making the case for a pay rise when you’re outside Agenda for Change

Jobs