Clinical
Our clinical nursing articles aim to inform and educate nurse practitioners and students. This is achieved through the publication of peer-reviewed, evidence-based, relevant and topical articles.
Supporting people with learning disabilities to have blood tests
Why you should read this article • To acknowledge that people with learning disabilities experience health inequalities • To recognise that fear and anxiety about medical procedures in general and needles in particular can be a clinical challenge to providing effective care for people with learning disabilities • To be aware of an evidence-based group intervention that can support people with learning disabilities to have blood tests without chemical or physical restraint People with learning disabilities experience challenges in accessing effective healthcare and undergoing invasive investigations, including blood tests. Disability discrimination legislation places the onus on services to make reasonable adjustments so that this group can receive effective health interventions. If people have capacity to consent, a refusal to undergo a diagnostic procedure or investigation must be respected. If they do not have capacity to consent, however, chemical or physical restraint may be used to facilitate procedures. Locally, service users were, on occasion, not receiving timely diagnosis of their health conditions because of their refusal to undergo a blood test. Individual desensitisation work was often undertaken as a result, as was treatment under sedation, with varying degrees of success. This article explores the implementation of an evidence-based group intervention that aimed to increase the likelihood that people with a learning disability would consent to receive blood tests without the need for chemical or physical restraint. Since its implementation in 2011 seven groups have been completed with a total of 18 participants, of whom 14 had a blood test successfully.
Role of a learning disability nursing network in developing students’ skills
Why you should read this article • To enhance your awareness of how online networking can enhance your practice • To gain knowledge of the benefits of using social media for nursing students and nurses • To understand how being a member of a professional network group can provide learning disability nursing students with opportunities to develop and practise leadership skills Changes in health and social care, the complex health needs of the learning disability population and diversification of learning disability nursing roles have led to an increased need for professional networking. This can assist nurses and nursing students in communicating effectively with each other, developing professional connections and sharing optimal practice and expertise worldwide. This article describes the experience of a group of learning disability nursing students who collaborated with the Scottish Learning Disability Nursing Network steering group to promote online networking among their peers and nurses. It also outlines the role of the learning disability nursing students in this collaboration and how it has enhanced their leadership skills, as well as describing the benefits of professional online networking.
Development of training programme to manage behaviour
Some children and young people with a learning disability also present with behaviour that challenges, which can require significant care input from their parents or carers. Without specialist skilled support to meet the needs of these children and young people, behaviour that challenges can continue through adolescence and into adulthood. This article explores the development of a family training programme in one NHS trust, which aimed to provide the parents and carers of children and young people with a learning disability with safe strategies to manage behaviour that challenges. The training programme assisted parents and carers to develop confidence in managing behaviour that challenges and improved the quality of life of children and young people with a learning disability.
Exploring the value of reflexivity in learning disability research
Reflexivity can be used by researchers to manage their thoughts, feelings and preconceptions
Resource Buddy: an online resource to support mindfulness-based interventions
Exploring the evidence base for mindfulness-based interventions for people with LDs
The Telford model: inspiring new leaders in learning disability nursing
Supporting and mentoring learning disability nursing students can be rewarding for all parties, but the challenge is to ensure that the process is robust and effective. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards for entry to the register require that all nursing students are competent in the four domains of professional values; communication and interpersonal skills; nursing practice and decision-making; and leadership, management and team working. Providing nursing students with the opportunity to practise and become competent in these domains formed the basis of the Telford model’s development. This article describes the model and explains how it works in practice, using the experiences of nursing students and their mentors. The article also shows how implementing the model can improve students’ competence and confidence while increasing placement capacity, which easily matches the new NMC standards to support learning and assessment in practice.
Reintegration of people with mental health problems or learning disabilities from prison
The benefits of a communication forum specifically in support of community reintegration
Syndromes: Batten disease
A look at Batten disease, a collection of rare and fatal inherited disorders of the nervous system
Staff training in services for people who have LDs with behaviour that challenges
An interactive and collaborative approach may be most effective
Development of epilepsy risk assessment guidance for carers and services
Nurses need to feel confident about supporting people with LD affected by epilepsy
Puberty: challenges for adolescents on the autism spectrum
Nurses need an understanding of the root causes of problematic sexual behaviour
Syndromes: Sanfilippo syndrome
A look at this progressive and rare congenital lysosomal disorder