Editorial

From cradle to grave

Learning disability nurses are different from their colleagues in other disciplines. Adult nurses look after sick adults, children’s nurses look after sick kids, and mental health nurses look after people with mental distress.

Learning disability nurses are different from their colleagues in other disciplines. Adult nurses look after sick adults, children’s nurses look after sick kids, and mental health nurses look after people with mental distress.

But learning disability nurses? They care for people throughout the whole lifespan, in sickness and in health, making sure that they get access to the health care they need.

Alex McClimens and Sarah Burns touch on this difference in their second article on the training of dual-qualified learning disability nurses and social workers.

They examine the initial careers of four such nurses/social workers and describe how being trained to ‘wear two hats’ gives this rare breed of professional a unique insight into how care can be provided to people with learning disabilities.

Being trained to ‘wear two hats’ gives dual-qualified nurses and social workers a unique insight into care provision

Also in the journal this month Jan Walmsley and colleagues look at the lack of opportunities for women with learning disabilities to make decisions about their methods of contraception.

Sarah Weedle and colleagues describe a trip to Belarus and how they influenced the care of children living in institutional care there.

Rosie Oldman-Cooper and Kate Allez report on an ‘understanding and managing feelings’ group that is helping people to recognise and respond appropriately to their feelings.

With Jim Blair talking about palliative care for people reaching the end of their lives, this issue provides plenty of evidence that members of the profession truly do provide care from the cradle to the grave.

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