Why I love… being a Community Learning Disability Nurse

As a learning disability nurse, I feel very privileged. My job allows me to support people from all walks of life and has opened my eyes to how essential learning disability nurses really are in helping to address the holistic needs of the people they care for and support.

I love being able to work as part of an amazing multi-disciplinary team, who are always on hand to give advice or guidance when I am just not sure about something.

I love being able to support people with learning disabilities to thrive in their own homes, surrounded by either their families or support workers who know them well.

As a learning disability nurse, no two days are the same and I love that aspect of my role, as you never know what might happen; my diary may be full of things to complete, but then one phone call can change all of that. For me, that’s the dynamic and responsive part of being a learning disability nurse.

One of the projects I am involved with currently, is working alongside our local sexual health clinic to provide people with learning disabilities the necessary support, advice, and guidance to ensure they are provided with all relevant sexual health information. This covers things like contraception, what to do if they think they may have caught a sexually transmitted infection, and where to turn if they need support around testing, treatment, or simply someone to talk to about their sexual health.

I have a strong passion to normalize these types of conversations and to make sure people with learning disabilities receive the same sexual health support as the general population.

By supporting people with learning disabilities to rightfully access mainstream health care services, I am able to ensure they receive high quality, equitable care, support and treatment, and where required, working with other professionals, we make sure people’s care is reasonably adjusted and their experience is a positive one.

This is just a small part of why I love being a learning disability nurse.

Seonaid Walker
Community Learning Disability Nurse
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust