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
While on placement on a forensic learning disability ward at the beginning of my third year as a mental health nursing student I noticed that patients sometimes needed ‘as required’ (PRN) medication for distress associated with their mental health.
It was an all-male ward for patients aged 18-65 with a learning disability who were detained under the Mental Health (Care & Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. The men had varying levels of learning disability, and more than half had a co-morbid mental illness such as schizophrenia.
On previous mental health
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