Learning Disability Practice
Editor's choice
COVID-19: critical care guide updated amid fears for people with learning disabilities
Changes made after fears raised that life or death decisions about who receives intensive...
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COVID-19: guidance on when to admit patients to critical care
NICE advises on assessing for frailty and including patients and carers in decision-making
COVID-19: struggling nurses need psychological support, says charity
Suicide prevention charity calls for dedicated helpline for healthcare staff
COVID-19: home care providers resort to crowdfunding to buy PPE for staff
Nurses in all settings still waiting on personal protective equipment, says RCN
Nursing and Midwifery Council clarifies its position on nurses who do not start CPR
NMC has reiterated its support for current guidance following recent FtP cases
COVID-19: England’s chief nurse condemns violence and verbal abuse towards nurses
‘Respect and listen to NHS staff’ during pandemic, urges Ruth May
COVID-19: NHS staff offered thousands of free meals and cab rides
Restaurant, food delivery and cab firms rally to support front-line workers during pandemic
Evidence and Practice
Supporting people with intellectual disabilities to discuss death and bereavement
This article describes a public engagement project on bereavement
Investigating accessible information formats with people who have learning disabilities
Why you should read this article: • To understand the issues that some people with learning...
Using cognitive behavioural therapy in individuals with intellectual disability
Why you should read this article • To familiarise yourself with the principles underpinning...
Supporting people with learning disabilities to move out of long-stay hospitals
Transforming care: negotiating the complex discharge process
Helicobacter pylori: nurses’ perceptions of diagnosis and treatment in adults
Why you should read this article • To understand how people with a learning disability may...
Alternative admission process for patients with an ASD and/or an intellectual disability
People’s experiences can be improved by ensuring a smooth transition to inpatient care
Features
Hollyoaks' staff have more training in autism awareness than some health...
TV star Carrie Grant says nurses can help through ‘collaboration, community and curiosity’
Dating agencies: a chance to find romance for people with learning disabilities
Learning disability nurses might be asked to help a service user looking for love and companionship to apply to a dating agency
PBS Festival 2019 encourages positive approach to behaviour that challenges
Event attracted practitioners and people with learning disabilities and their families
Is your client at risk of forced marriage?
How nurses can help people with learning disabilities who are at risk of forced marriage
Personalised end of life care for people with learning disabilities is the gold standard
Irene Tuffrey-Wijne advocates service-user involvement in decisions that affect them
Ensuring everyone has a voice: a communication tool for non-verbal patients
RCNi Nurse Awards student winners spread the word about their Makaton language resource
Opinion
COVID-19: advice is available for you and your client
Global pandemic means that learning disability nursing ‘reset’ may have to wait
Planet Rachael: why the Curly Wurly theory could extend to managing ED expectations
A long wait in a hospital shows it’s wise to disclose the true situation at the outset
Speak out and be a catalyst for change for children with learning disabilities
A mother inspired a company to make changes that will help children with disabilities
Students
What to do when words fail
Communication problems are not uncommon when people with complex needs are admitted to hospital, and one nursing student is creating a toolkit that will include tips from specialists and signposting to additional support
Using positive reinforcement to manage violence and aggression
Reminding a service user with learning disabilities how much her behaviour had improved helped nursing student Bradley Squirrell successfully de-escalate a violent situation
A fresh take on medicines management for patients with a learning disability
Mental health nursing student Kirsty Killiard implemented a system for monitoring the use of ‘as required’ medication for patients on a forensic learning disability ward, earning her a place as a finalist in the RCNi Nurse Awards.
Careers
How I make the emergency department less daunting for people with learning disabilities
Lauren Johnston describes her work in a pioneering nursing role
We saw first-hand how learning disability nurses helped our son
After witnessing their son’s care, a couple have decided to become learning disability nurses
‘Taking on a lone position has been a challenge. I love it’
Award-winning Penelope Clark moved her family 800 miles to take up a post as the only community liaison nurse for learning disabilities and autism on the remote Shetland Islands