Nicola Shinn, Learning Disability Nurse
Learning Disability nurses possess such a broad range of skills, knowledge, and expertise, and they work in a wide variety of settings. Here we have a piece by Nicola Shinn talking about her passion for working in forensic care.
Who am I?
My name is Nicola Shinn and I’m a Learning Disability Nurse, I’m also a Registered Social Worker and have recently completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Autism & Asperger’s. I qualified as a Learning Disability Nurse & Generic Social Worker in 2012 and for the past 10 years I have worked within forensic services which I really enjoy. The term forensic sometimes attracts a stigma, but if you see the person first and their offence behaviours second, it is extremely rewarding to see the individual progress and reintegrate into society safely.
Nicola Shinn
“I am so thankful I chose this career path.”
When I was leaving school, I really wanted to take care of people in some way. I had completed an introductory course in Public Health in my last year at School through the local college as part of a pilot project to promote students going into further education. This really piqued my interest in Health & Social Care and I then went on to complete a BTEC in Health & Social Care in College.
When thinking about training options for University I originally applied to study Social Work at University but having seen a dual programme in social work and learning disability nursing at Sheffield Hallam University I pursued this option. The idea of becoming a Registered Social Worker and a Registered Learning Disability Nurse in the same time as it would take to obtain 1 degree, was too good a deal, so I chose that option!
During the 3 years, the learning, the placements, and the people I met vastly changed my outlook and by the end of the course I knew I wanted to be a Learning Disability Nurse and I am so thankful I chose this career path!
I am now currently a ward manager within the National High Secure Learning Disability Service based at Rampton High Secure Hospital. The ward I manage has two separate areas, one is for autistic people and the other for individuals with high dependency needs.
What do I do?
A typical day for me can sometimes look like, far too many emails, and piles of paperwork, but importantly supporting and caring for the individuals who are placed here, alongside leading a team of staff is my priority. I really enjoy leading a team of staff and being able to empower and motivate other professionals within their career and to see them grow. I am a real advocate for professional development, I think this is essential in Learning Disability Nursing and invaluable for a nurse to keep up to date. I am able to identify staff’s strengths and use these to empower them to access progression routes. I always make time to speak and listen to staff in order to support their mental health and wellbeing at work as well as outside of work.
Of course, being a role model, a good leader and a jack of all trades is important, as well as remembering to have some fun along the way!
What drives me?
I’ve always had a passionate interest in autism, and this has continued in my career to date. By supporting and working alongside autistic people for so many years, I’ve learned so much. Working with autistic people has led me to always think outside of the box and gives me the ability to rethink current practices and make reasonable adjustments using coproduction. In 2021 I was given the opportunity to manage the autism service and I jumped at the chance. I knew this would give me a valuable springboard to enhance my knowledge and skills further and use my passion to drive positive change. From this, I have been able to focus on delivering better patient outcomes. By seeing individual’s progression through often highly personalised treatment approaches, alongside encouraging effective relationship building with them is extremely rewarding.
Being a learning disability nurse allows you to think differently, empower others to see a wider perspective, and be able to support a breadth of diverse individuals with a whole range of different needs. Learning disability nursing is such a unique profession because the diversity of people you support also gives you experience and knowledge in mental health, physical health, neurodiversity, social care… the list goes on. You are not just a learning disability nurse; you’re an integral part of another person’s journey and you help them in so many unique ways.
Why forensic nursing?
Forensic settings, especially high security can sometimes attract a negative stereotype. From public perceptions and media portrayals, these can have a lasting effect on individuals. So, part of my job is to ensure negative stereotypes are dispelled as much as possible. I actively attend conferences and share the work being completed within high security regarding reducing restrictive practices, creating specialised services, quality improvements, and the amazing initiatives being developed! I welcome visits from professionals and external providers into high security to enhance our open and transparent culture. By doing this it shares learning and ideas as well as dispelling the myth that high security is something to avoid or be cautious of.
What next?
In 2012 I completed my university dissertation on how effective CBT is for autistic children. Following this I did take a break from further formal research and learning as I focused on my role as a learning disability nurse. However, I always kept up to date and invested in my professional development informally through literature and social media platforms like Twitter. I have since returned to formal research and learning, completing the Florence Nightingale Leadership course, a Post Graduate Certificate in Autism and also completing a Chartered Manager course. These courses have supported me to become the leader I am today.
In terms of my future career pathway, I am still committed to my development and intend to complete a Master’s degree in Autism in the future. I see my career developing into commissioning and educational pathways with the intention to support individuals to move out of secure services successfully as well as supporting the future development of learning disability nursing as a profession.
Learning Disability nursing is such a rewarding career, the rare variation in career options and progression is so widespread its invaluable. I would encourage anyone to consider learning disability nursing as a career as well as consideration of working within forensic high secure services. Forensic nursing isn’t for everyone, but I would encourage everyone to seek an opportunity to experience that area of working in order to gain an understanding of the range of specialist expertise required to work within this area of care.