I am a very proud learning disability nursing student, and I could not recommend this career for anyone who has an interest in working with individuals with learning disabilities, both children and adults. I am very passionate about what I do, and I feel strongly about making sure that we keep this field of nursing going strong.
We often get told that we are not proper nurses because our role can often look very different to those who work on typical wards. But learning disability nurses have a key role in the nursing profession. We have such a varied, exciting and different role, which has many challenges, yet, it can be the most rewarding job there is.
“The individuals we work with can be extremely vulnerable and susceptible to so many inequalities within healthcare”
We are required to know many of the clinical skills that adult nurses are taught, because of the high prevalence of associated health conditions. We must know the techniques mental health nurses use due to individuals with learning disabilities being more likely to experience mental health difficulties than the general population. We also work to improve general wellbeing, relationships, social support and the environment. We take a truly holistic approach.
We then have the capacity to be creative. Often, we can adapt boring interventions to something person-centered, which is fun and engaging, using the individual’s special interests. We have excellent communication skills often being required to use additional methods of communication – easy-read, social stories, Makaton, pictures and non-verbal communication. We require a lot of determination and patience, as building relationships with these individuals can take months, even years.
One of the most important roles we have is to be an advocate. The individuals we work with can be extremely vulnerable and susceptible to so many inequalities within healthcare. We must use our voice to make a difference. It can be extremely frustrating, and it often feels like you are fighting a losing battle, but our resilience keeps us going and it keeps our passion and desire alive.
As someone who is so passionate about this field of nursing, it is sad to see so many courses being cut and specialist services closing. When individuals with learning disabilities need us more than ever, the number of learning disability nurses qualifying is declining each year.
I know there are some myths that the profession is dying out but that is simply not the case. The number of individuals with learning disabilities continues to grow each year.
So, what can we do to promote it? More needs to be done to attract more people into the profession as so many people do not even know that learning disability nursing is a possibility.
We have a responsibility as nurses in this field to promote and shout about what we do to keep the spark alive, and I can only advise anyone to explore specialising. If you are an adult, child or mental health nurse, explore the field of learning disability nursing and if you are on placement, use your insight visits to do this.
We can make a real difference to not just individuals but to their families. Reports continue to show the high number of deaths among these individuals, yet changes are not being made. Without us, individuals with learning disabilities will continue to die premature and avoidable deaths.
They need us.
Ellie Sims is a second-year learning disability nursing student, University of Nottingham and 2023-24 Nursing Times student editor