Learning Disability Nurses Research Articles

Enhancing the use of Makaton in nurse education and practice.

Makaton is a unique multimodal language programme that uses signs, symbols and speech. It offers a flexible communication system that can be used across settings with a wide range of people, including those with learning disabilities or communication difficulties. This article explains what Makaton entails and how it can be used to aid communication with service users. The authors suggest that Makaton should be integrated in preregistration nurse education for all fields of practice, particularly learning disability nursing. Effective communication skills are essential for all nurses and learning Makaton as part of their preregistration education programmes could improve their competence and confidence in engaging in meaningful dialogue with people who find it challenging to communicate verbally.

How nurses can apply spiritual care to improve the daily lives of people with learning disabilities and their families.

Most UK nursing research into spirituality overlooks its daily application in certain specialties, notably learning disability nursing. Tz explore spirituality over the lifespans of people with learning disabilities and how spiritual care affects their quality of life. To provide practical examples for nurses on how to apply spiritual care in their daily practice. A literature review conducted between January 2002 and July 2022) following recommendations from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Thomas and Harden's (2008) approach to thematic synthesis was used to structure 10 full-text articles into three key themes. The three key themes were: the role of the nurse, the impacts on the individual, and family/carer perspectives. The nursing role in using spiritual care encompasses care planning an individual's spiritual activities, facilitating time alone, nurturing values such as self-acceptance, building therapeutic relationships, and advocating for progression in existing social structures and legislation.

Experiences of learning disability nurses within community nursing teams, working in collaboration with primary care

Background: The approach and understanding of healthcare systems and societies regarding people who have a diagnosis of learning disability (LD) varies across countries; however, it is widely reported that those with LDs report feeling disempowerment and devalued by those working in healthcare. When an individual is devalued, they are more likely to have poorer health outcomes. International human rights laws, such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, set out an international responsibility to address LD-related inequalities and mistreatment. In England, LD nurses predominantly work within community teams to improve patients living with LDs' holistic access to healthcare and reduce the health inequalities they experience. Exploration of the literature failed to identify any relevant research on the specific role and experiences of the LD nurse within a community team. Aim: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of a LD nurse working with LD patients within a community setting. The research was conducted by an advanced clinical practitioner (ACP). Method: Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from four participants. These interviews were recorded and analysed for themes and repeat experiences. Data were analysed using Braun and Clark's (2006) six step model. Findings: LD nurses reported that their patients benefited when they worked collaboratively with primary care. Discussion: The LD nurse was shown to improve access to healthcare for people living with a formal diagnosis of LD or intellectual disability. However, the LD community nurse role is not well known or understood. The LD nurse, when working collaboratively with primary care, often becomes a ‘token’ role that is not utilised. Investment in the role is required to ensure it reaches its full potential. The ACP is best placed to lead on these recommendations and contribute to building the research base in this area of expertise. The role is essential in reducing health inequalities and improving holistic healthcare outcomes for adults with a LD living within the community in the UK. Recommendations: It is recommended that a LD nurse, primary care pathway and an outcome measure tool for workforce planning are implemented within the LD nurse community setting. Future research within and outside the UK is needed to explore the experiences of LD nurses in other geographical locations.

Can new training opportunities fix the shortage of learning disability nurses?

Can new training opportunities fix the shortage of learning disability nurses?

Why safe and well-being reviews can be a catalyst for change

Learning disability nurses may be disheartened by NHS England’s reports on care failings at Cawston Park Hospital (pictured), but the reviews can spark much-needed change

Why learning disability nurses must stand up for the specialty

There is debate in mental health and children’s nursing fields about the creeping erosion of specialist field-specific content from undergraduate nursing programmes in favour of a more ‘generic’ approach to curriculum design and delivery.

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing as a treatment for PTSD, trauma, and trauma related symptoms in children with intellectual disabilities: a general review

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss the utility of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy as a treatment for children with intellectual disabilities (ID) who have experienced trauma.Design/methodology/approachRelevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance and literature were reviewed to provide support for the use of EMDR as a treatment for trauma in children with ID.FindingsThere is a growing body of evidence which demonstrates that EMDR therapy is successful for the treatment of trauma in adults and children. However, for children with ID, the research is limited despite those with ID being more likely than non-disabled peers to experience trauma such as abuse or neglect.Practical implicationsEMDR can only be facilitated by trained mental health nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists (clinical, forensic, counselling or educational) or occupational therapists or social workers with additional training. Finally, general practitioners who are experienced in psychotherapy or psychological trauma and have accreditation. Therefore, this highlights that there may be a lack of trained staff to facilitate this intervention and that those who are generally working with the client closely and long term such as learning disability nurses are not able to conduct this intervention.Originality/valueThis paper presents an account of NICE guidance and evidence of the efficacy of EMDR as a treatment for adults, children and those with ID.

Recognising visual perception issues in people with learning disabilities

Sight issues, which can be eye-related or brain-related, are common among people with learning disabilities. Premature birth or subsequent developmental delays can cause damage to the areas of the brain that process vision, leading to cortical visual impairment. Eye-related and brain-related sight issues can manifest as impaired visual perception causing, for example, difficulties with light perception, colour perception, object perception or movement perception. People with learning disabilities may display behaviours indicative of visual perception issues, but such behaviours are often ignored or misinterpreted. This article explains the causes and consequences of cortical visual impairment, describes visual perception issues that commonly arise from ocular/retinal or cortical causes, and outlines how learning disability nurses can detect the presence of visual perception issues in service users.

Listening to people with severe or profound intellectual disabilities: a literature review

This article presents a literature review that explored communication partners’ experiences of listening or attending to people with severe or profound intellectual disabilities during interactions. Findings suggest that the context in which the interaction takes place, and the role of the communication partner, influences the structure of the interaction. Additionally, an optimal balance between communication partner sensitivity to the person’s communication behaviours, and knowledge of the person, is valuable when listening to and attempting to understand what the person is expressing. The authors make recommendations for research, practice and education to support and develop the evidence base and practice in this area of learning disability nursing.

Why learning disability nurses hold the key to developing Down syndrome guidance

The Down Syndrome Act states that the NHS, social care and other healthcare providers must ensure they meet service users’ specific needs – and learning disability nurses’ input is vital

Access to Secondary Healthcare for People with Intellectual Disabilities: The Role of Community Learning Disability Nurses in Wales

People with intellectual disabilities experience many health disparities including difficulties with access to healthcare, and a lack of appropriate and timely healthcare. Nurses are well placed to address such disparities. In the UK, this is a key focus of the role of specialist community learning (intellectual) disabilities nurses (CLDNs), as explained in our background section. Research relating to this aspect of their role is limited. This qualitative research study explored the role of the CLDN to support access to secondary healthcare. This article reviews our study methods, which included semi-structured interviews (n = 14) conducted with CLDNs using critical incident technique. These were subsequently transcribed and critical incidents (n = 74) analysed using thematic analysis. We describe in our findings four emerging themes: Proactive/Preparatory Work; Therapeutic Relationships; Coordination; and Influencing Healthcare Outcomes. Within each theme and several subthemes there is evidence of CLDNs identifying and removing or reducing barriers to effective and timely healthcare. The discussion section asserts that CLDNs use a range of strategies to support access to healthcare and with a focus on barriers, they promote health within a social model of disability. We conclude that, whilst specialist CLDNs do not exist in many other countries, the strategies they employ could be utilised by non-specialist nurses working both within the UK and elsewhere to enhance access and reduce health disparities for people with intellectual disabilities.

Supporting women with learning disabilities in infant feeding decisions: UK health care professionals' experiences.

Women with learning disabilities are less likely to breastfeed than other women. They may find it hard to understand or learn feeding techniques or know that they have infant feeding choices. This population may be supported during their pregnancies by a range of professionals with differing priorities and responsibilities towards both the mother and the baby. This puts considerable pressure on health care professionals including, but not limited to, midwives, infant feeding specialists, health visitors and learning disability nurses. Those who support women with learning disabilities through their journey into motherhood have a responsibility to ensure the women in their care have the information they need to make decisions about a range of issues, including infant feeding. In the absence of dedicated lactation consultants, this is one of many issues to be discussed within time-limited appointments. Little is known about the experience of supporting women with learning disabilities to make infant feeding decisions from the point of view of health professionals. Using a qualitative descriptive research design, we conducted online, semistructured interviews with sevenUK health professionals about their experience of supporting women with learning disabilities in infant feeding. Thematic analysis identified three themes: the importance of health professionals' having unconditional, positive regard; the need for an individualised approach to supporting women to make infant-feeding decisions; and being part of the support network. This suggests that women with learning disabilities can make and put into practice infant feeding decisions if they have access to the right support at the right time.

Learning disability nurses do make a difference

Learning disability nurses do make a difference

Performing venesection in a person with a learning disability

People with learning disabilities face challenges in accessing healthcare services, particularly testing, screening and monitoring, which means that common conditions are often missed. Like anyone, people with learning disabilities develop conditions that require diagnosis, assessment and monitoring through the laboratory analysis of blood samples, so learning disability nurses need to be skilled at performing venesection. Obtaining informed consent and preparing the person psychologically and emotionally for the procedure is as important to its success as getting the clinical aspects right. This article discusses venesection in people with learning disabilities, explaining how nurses can support them before, during and after the procedure and describing a step-by-step approach to performing venesection in a person with a learning disability.

Mental health support: what nurses can do to help young people

Learning disability nurses must highlight the mental health needs of children and young people and offer support, with social isolation increasing those needs

Exploring the knowledge of social care staff about learning disability: 20 years on

Background It is important for social care staff to understand what a learning disability is so that they can identify people with learning disabilities and provide them with the support they need.Aim To explore whether there have been changes in the knowledge of social care staff about the diagnostic criteria for learning disability more than 20 years after the researchers first explored the topic.Method A sample of 264 social care staff were asked to describe what they understood by ‘learning disability’. Their responses were compared with the three diagnostic criteria of learning disability – that is, significant impairments in intellectual functioning, significant impairments in adaptive functioning and childhood onset.Results Impairments in intellectual functioning was the most commonly identified criterion and childhood onset the least commonly identified criterion. Only 5% of participants (n=13) identified all three criteria, while 57% (n=150) identified none or only one of the criteria.Conclusion While the results are an improvement on those found more than 20 years ago, they still indicate an ongoing need for improved understanding, among social care staff, of what a learning disability is, and learning disability nurses have a role to play in this.

Dysphagia: what learning disability nurses need to know

Dysphagia: what learning disability nurses need to know

Use of force in mental health units: guidance for learning disability nurses

Use of force in mental health units: guidance for learning disability nurses

Understanding and managing trauma in people with severe and profound learning disabilities

Trauma has been described as an experience that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has produced traumatic effects in many people, particularly on those with severe and profound learning disabilities, who are generally at higher risk of trauma than others. Understanding the neurobiological responses to trauma may elucidate which experiential strategies could be used to support people with severe and profound learning disabilities who may have experienced trauma. In particular, trauma can lead to the loss of one’s sense of safety, so restoring this sense of safety can be crucial in supporting recovery.This article details some of the potential signs and symptoms of trauma and describes some of its effects on the mind, brain and body. It also explores strategies that learning disability nurses can use to assist people with severe and profound learning disabilities to recover from trauma.

Undergraduate Nurses' Attitude Change to Health Technology Implementation.

The poster will report upon a longitudinal study exploring the attitudes towards the implementation of health technology into clinical and community nursing practice from the perspective of third year undergraduate students studying adult, child, mental health and learning disability nursing.