CPD articles

Our continuing professional development (CPD) articles are designed to assist with your nursing skills and practice.

Obesity and nutrition: supporting positive dietary behaviour change in people with...

Why you should read this article: • To enhance your knowledge of the causes of, and risk factors for, obesity in people with learning disabilities • To acknowledge the importance of nutrition as a key controllable factor in preventing long-term conditions • To contribute towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD (UK readers) • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers) Obesity is a major global concern and is more common among people with learning disabilities than in the general population. If unmanaged, obesity can lead or contribute to various long-term health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. People with learning disabilities often rely on support staff, families and carers to meet their individual nutritional needs, but care teams and families may lack adequate knowledge of public health recommendations about healthy diet and optimal nutrition. More needs to be done to enhance the diet, and subsequently improve the health outcomes, of people with learning disabilities. This article provides an overview of obesity in people with learning disabilities, including contributing factors, associated health conditions and nutritional considerations. It also details recommendations for nurses to promote a healthy diet and support positive dietary behaviour change in this population.

Rare epilepsy syndromes: understanding treatment goals and management challenges

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 general practice appointments

Supporting people with learning disabilities to attend GP appointments

Learning disability nurses' role in supporting people with learning disabilities in primary care

Responding to distressed behaviour at the intersection of learning disability and neurodivergence

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

Conducting mental health assessments of people with learning disabilities

Advice on overcoming communication issues and cognitive impairments to conduct an effective assessment

Ensuring effective communication when undertaking a systematic health assessment

Ensuring good communication when undertaking a health assessment

How a systematic assessment works in practice and skills nurses use to engage service users

Breaking bad news to people with learning disabilities: barriers and tools

Breaking bad news to people with learning disabilities: barriers and tools

Barriers to, and tools for, breaking bad news to people with learning disabilities

Recognising visual perception issues in people with learning disabilities

Recognising visual perception issues in people with learning disabilities

Explore the causes and consequences of cortical visual impairment

Providing additional procedures for people with learning disabilities receiving dental treatment under general anaesthesia

Additional procedures for people with learning disabilities receiving dental treatment

Supporting people undergoing multiple procedures under one general anaesthetic

Using verbal and non-verbal communication to support people with learning disabilities

Using verbal and non-verbal communication to support people with learning disabilities

How non-verbal communication can usefully complement or replace verbal communication

Exploring the use of service-user narratives to improve care

Exploring the use of service-user narratives to improve care

Service-user narratives can support people with learning disabilities to access care

Managing malnutrition

Identifying and managing malnutrition in people with learning disabilities

Malnutrition is a serious risk, but is under-recognised in this population

Performing venesection in a person with a learning disability

Increase your awareness of how to make venesection a positive experience for service users

Reducing the use of restrictive practices by applying a human rights-based approach

Enhance your understanding of the need to reduce the use of restrictive practices

Symptom management at the end of life for people with intellectual disabilities

A refresher on nurses’ responsibilities in relation to providing end of life care

Using cultural safety to enhance nursing care for people with a learning disability

Cultural safety and how it can help nurses care for people with a learning disability

How to give an intramuscular injection to an adult with an intellectual disability

This article aims to enhance intellectual disability nurses’ knowledge of this procedure

Understanding status epilepticus and its treatment in the community

An overview of SE treatment in the community, including administration of buccal midazolam

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