Paula Hopes
Learning Disability Consultant Nurse in Swansea Bay University Health Board
I have an M.Sc in positive approaches to challenging behaviour and a background in working in a specialist behaviour team in various roles with children and adults. I believe in the benefits of PBS, sensory Integration and accessible communication, overall I feel we have a responsibility as learning disability nurses to promote rights based approaches, person centeredness and understanding of need.
I have also been a lecturer in two universities (Teesside and University of South Wales) and I have a PGC LTHE.
I am very active on social media and promote professionalism, curiosity and networking to showcase the role of learning disability nurses and the fantastic opportunities we have to work with people with learning disabilities and their families.
I am very lucky! I love my job, it brings experiences from the best things about being a learning disability nurse. I have elements of leadership, research, teaching and clinical practice in the role and I get to focus on pieces of work that make a real difference to the people who use our services, doing this in partnership with people with learning disabilities, colleagues across all professions and levels within the organisation. I am currently the only Learning Disability Consultant Nurse in Wales- I hope there will be more of us one day!