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
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
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
Explore the causes and consequences of cortical visual impairment
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
How non-verbal communication can usefully complement or replace verbal communication
Exploring the use of service-user narratives to improve care
Service-user narratives can support people with learning disabilities to access care
Identifying and managing malnutrition in people with learning disabilities
Malnutrition is a serious risk, but is under-recognised in this population