Learning Disability Practice
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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: dos and don’ts for when you get home
Online sources list rigorous steps to take after each shift – but what do the experts say?
COVID-19: tributes paid after death of two more nurses
Employers and loved ones praise dedication of Alice Kit Tak Ong and Rebecca Mack
COVID-19: ‘promised PPE supplies are not reaching front-line staff’
Inadequate provision is compromising nurse and patient safety, RCN warns
COVID-19: nurses receive conflicting advice on PPE and resuscitation
Public Health England guidance contrasts with Resuscitation Council advice on CPR
COVID-19: mental health helpline for nurses opens
NHS staff can speak to volunteers from charities such as Hospice UK and the Samaritans
COVID-19 survey: RCN calls for nurses’ feedback on the crisis
Three-pronged survey will look at healthcare staff’s experiences throughout the pandemic
Evidence and Practice
Person-centred care for people with learning disabilities: the application of Kitwood’s...
Why you should read this article: • To be aware of how Tom Kitwood’s seminal work on the...
Using assistive technology to encourage independence and well-being in people with...
Why you should read this article: • To enhance your understanding of the functional needs of...
Reflections on writing journal articles
Why you should read this article: • To understand the importance of writing for publication...
Health Equalities Framework: the effect of moving from a care home to other settings on...
Why you should read this article: • To understand the disparity in health between people...
Factors influencing the self-esteem of children with a severe or profound learning...
Why you should read this article: • To enhance your awareness of the effects of stigma on...
Supporting people with intellectual disabilities to discuss death and bereavement
This article describes a public engagement project on bereavement
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