Nurses' role in the developments in learning disability care

Abstract

This article looks at the changes in the attitude of society towards people with a learning disability over the last 20 years. Their status in the world as well as their right to be recognized as individuals will be discussed. Nurses have had to move away from the medical and dependence model of care and adjust their practice and behaviour to practice in a more relaxed and domestic style, in which risk-taking, decision-making, choice and opportunity for the clients are key features of the service. This article will highlight the role that learning disability nurses have played in these changes and the adjustments that they have had to make to their clinical practice. Within the new culture of independence and rights for people with a disability, it emphasizes the need for nurses to ensure that they address their own accountability and responsibility. Strategies that have been developed to address social discrimination and exclusion will also be explored.