Resources

“The commitment of learning disability nurses never waivers, we provide people with life-style opportunities, and not just a service... Together we are better!”

“As a profession learning disability nurses are not a homogenous group. We have proved ourselves to be one of the most flexible professions, and we now occupy a multitude of roles across so many settings. I was immensely proud when I qualified as learning disability nurse in 1978, I remain equally proud to be a learning disability nurse today”.

“I've been around people with learning disability all my life and being a learning disability nurse has given me a position to make a real difference on an individual, group and population level. I have worked with people of all different ages, with differing needs and in a variety of settings. I have progressed to the pinnacle of my career as a consultant nurse and the direct clinical work I deliver, keeps me grounded and drives me to carry on. It's the best career and I'd recommend it to anyone.”

“Learning disability nursing to me means that the people we support receive holistic and compassionate care in a respectful, inclusive and empowering manner. “

“Learning disability nursing means to me fusion, working alongside people with learning disabilities to have a platform to speak up and be heard.”

“I enjoy learning disability nursing with the uniqueness and challenge the job brings; if you can go home at the end of the day, making even the smallest difference to a person, then it was a good day!”

“The honour of being accepted by another human being into their life and becoming part of their story is the motivation l get to continue working with people with learning disabilities.

The therapeutic relationships developed over time make my job worthwhile because when you are entrusted with the care of a person, nothing could be more precious.”

"I am passionately committed to the people I serve and the exclusive body of knowledge and skills which encompass the role of the nurse for people who have a learning disability. Within the academic network, we seek to advise and influence clinical practice through education and research, to promote a purposeful and sustainable workforce."

“For me, Learning Disability Nursing is about tuning into the person’s health frequency and working with them, their families and supporters to enhance well-being. It’s about health justice, care rights, and fuller lives.”

“Learning Disability Nursing is not what I do. I am who I am, a Learning Disability Nurse. I can only be who I can be, one of the Reasonable Adjustments offered in an Acute General Hospital. Being able to put a smile on this group of patients is what I always strive to do and this gives me satisfaction.”

“Learning disability nurses hail from so many different backgrounds, and each of us have our own very personal reasons for choosing to be part of this amazing profession. However, we have a common thread that binds us, and that is putting the people and the families we support, at the centre of their care.”

“For me, being a learning disability nurse is about how we are able to support people to live a good and healthy life. It’s all about the person and working with them, their families and carers and other health and social care services to help people achieve optimum health and wellbeing.”

“I am proud to be a learning disability nurse. Advocating, supporting and speaking up for vulnerable people is important to me. I believe learning disability nurses need to promote what we do, and smash-in the perceived perception of what our role is. The better we are, the more of us will be needed. I want to support the newer nurses coming through.”

“People with a learning disability, autistic people and their family carers often don’t feel heard or understood by professionals. My mission is to make sure we follow principles of coproduction in everything we do”.

“Learning Disability Nurses are the only professionals specifically trained to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities. Our clinical skills are vital for many, enabling equality to health and independence.”

“Learning Disability Nursing to me is holistic nursing in its truest form with the most flexible and skilled group of workers in healthcare. Learning Disability Nursing has brought so much joy to my life in ways I never thought possible. Each day I continue to learn something new from the best educators; individuals with Learning Disabilities and their families.”

“Learning Disability Nursing is important to me for a number of reasons. They have been a major asset for my siblings in really hard times. As a professional I empathise with what families and individuals may be going through and this motivates me to provide the most high quality, holistic care possible. I’m driven to promote Learning Disability Nursing as we are an incredible profession but we don’t always have the loudest voice to be heard.”

“We are so fortunate to have a career that takes us into health, social care and beyond, with almost limitless roles. But for me, the most important and joyous aspect of being a learning disability nurse, is that whatever we do, we do it in full partnership with people and families.”

“Learning Disability Nurses highlight and fight for social justice with people with learning disabilities. As a Learning Disability Nurse, I collaborate with, and enable others, to design systems that eradicate health inequalities and enable people with learning disabilities and autism to live healthy, safe, fulfilled lives.”

“I always wanted to be a nurse but didn’t know what learning disability nursing was. It was a spur of the moment decision ticking the box on the application form because I had a few tentative links with people with learning disabilities and a family member with a recent diagnosis of Autism. I finished my A-levels and started in January 2000 where I made the first steps towards registration and made friends for life. I love being a learning disability nurse, I’ve had various roles, many opportunities and learned lots of lessons along the way.”

“Learning disability nursing to me, is about instilling and celebrating a culture of inclusion, diversity, uniqueness and empowerment from the start of life and beyond. We create the platform for delivering reasonable adjustments, and we drive change”

“A Community Nurse’s life in the learning Disability field is varied, full of surprises, rewarding, fun and full on. I wouldn’t want my day work changed, it is a real opportunity to change people’s lives.”

“It’s a privilege to support people to live in the community with their loved ones, ensuring that should they ever need more help we can provide this quickly alongside colleagues from health, social care, and private providers. Building on quality of life and supporting individuals to pursue their goals and dreams is the most important part of what we do as an Intensive Support Team, and I am incredibly proud of the service we provide for the people of Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.”

I love Learning Disability nursing because it naturally lends itself to creativity; allowing me to use the arts to improve and enhance people's life experience, and figuratively enables me to creatively adapt nursing approaches and interventions to suit the specific needs of the people I support. As a learning disability nurse working within a forensic setting, it is a privilege, and encourages me to be in the present, to think on my feet and to find solutions to a wide array of issues that will ultimately improve the quality of life for the people in my care.