Evidence and Practice
Learning disability nursing in a remote and rural location: benefits and challenges
Using the Learning Disability Screening Questionnaire for homeless people
Supporting positive dietary behaviour change in people with learning disabilities
Clinical
Learning disability nursing in a remote and rural location: benefits and challenges
Why you should read this article: • To understand the unique demands on learning disability nursing in remote and rural locations • To consider the barriers that can affect care in rural areas, such as lack of access to specialist services • To appreciate the need for innovation and creative solutions when working in remote locations Learning disability nursing in remote and rural locations can often be challenging, in part due to limited resources and access to services, but it can also be highly rewarding. This article describes the benefits and challenges of learning disability nursing in Shetland, a remote and rural location that comprises a group of islands north of the Scottish mainland. It also includes the reflections and insights of a nursing student who completed a nine-week placement on Shetland, to provide another perspective of learning disability nursing in this setting.
Using the Learning Disability Screening Questionnaire for homeless people
Homeless services may not recognise service users’ intellectual disabilities
Forensic risk assessment in people with learning disabilities: principles and process
The process aims to provide a nuanced understanding of factors that may lead to offending behaviour
Promoting oral health for people with learning disabilities
How interventions such as desensitisation and reasonable adjustments can address challenges
How to support adherence to medicines among people with learning disabilities
A strategy is needed that includes education, reasonable adjustments and medication reviews
Supporting people with learning disabilities and needle phobia to be vaccinated
How a desensitisation programme was used to prepare people for the COVID-19 vaccination
CPD articles
Supporting positive dietary behaviour change in people with learning disabilities
The importance of nutrition as a controllable factor in preventing long-term conditions
Rare epilepsy syndromes: understanding treatment goals and management challenges
How nurses can provide adequate care and support to service users, family members and carers
Supporting people with learning disabilities to attend GP appointments
Learning disability nurses' role in supporting people with learning disabilities in primary care
Distressed behaviour at the intersection of learning disability and neurodivergence
The need to reframe behaviours that challenge as expressions of distress or unmet needs
Conducting mental health assessments of people with learning disabilities
Advice on overcoming communication issues and cognitive impairments to conduct an effective assessment
Ensuring good communication when undertaking a health assessment
How a systematic assessment works in practice and skills nurses use to engage service users
Practice question
Learning disabilities: can arts and crafts help mental health?
Arts and crafts activities can stimulate discussion on mental health and well-being
Are therapeutic untruths acceptable when talking to a person with a learning disability?
While no one wants to tell direct lies, therapeutic untruths can be beneficial
What is health promotion and how can it be used with people with learning disabilities?
Tailoring health education to specific needs can empower people and reduce inequalities