Becoming a learning disability nurse is one of the proudest and most rewarding things I have done. It has provided me with the opportunity to work with some of the most inspiring yet vulnerable people in society. When I started my nurse education, I had not really thought about where this career would take me or the impact that working within this field of nursing would have on me. Practice, education, research, management and leadership experiences have all afforded me the opportunity to have a positive influence and impact on the lives of people with a learning disability, whether directly or by supporting my colleagues in their own development and achievements.
The scenic route: My journey to becoming a learning disability nurse
School and education were never my strong points. When I was younger, I left high school with only 2 O-levels. Bizarrely, one was in Physics and the other was in Engineering Workshop Practice (metalwork you might say).
From leaving school, it was onto the government’s Youth Opportunities Programme working in a garage mainly sweeping the floor. Searching for more in life, I decided to apply for the Royal Air Force which I joined in 1984 and served for 12 years. This period of service exposed me to many great experiences and taught me about the value of determination, teamwork and looking out for each other.
Upon leaving the Royal Air Force, it was by chance rather than design, that I ended up applying and training to be a learning disability nurse. What interested me was the opportunity to support and work with people with diverse and sometimes complex needs and, yet again, to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team all working towards the same objective: To support people with a learning disability to live as full an independent and empowering life as possible.
Having seized the opportunity to become a learning disability nurse, I have never questioned whether it was the right decision, but only looked ahead to how I can influence and impact on the experiences of people with a learning disability, their families, other learning disability nurses and professionals.
Our goals are the same as any other nursing practice: positive service user outcome and improved quality of life
At the forefront of this are people with a learning disability and their families. They have shown me that despite marginalisation, stigma, adversity, barriers and challenges, it is still possible to show positivity, progress and adaptation. Yes, there are times when individuals have required quite intensive support in order for themselves, and sometimes others, to be kept safe, but the resilience and resources they have displayed to move forwards has always inspired me.
Similarly, when families have shared with me their experiences of caring for a loved one, they have shown determination and a commitment to learn and understand to improve their relative’s quality of life. As families and the systems they operate in are different, their experiences will vary, but it remains important that as a learning disability nurse we provide them with resources that empower and facilitate their ability to care.
None of this would be possible without a highly experienced team of fellow learning disability nurses with a shared vision of championing our service users that are too often misunderstood and misrepresented. I learn valuable lessons from my amazing network every day and draw upon their strength and experience to drive me forward in my knowledge and impact.
What next? A question I’m always asking myself
One can only but look back with appreciation at service users and their families giving me the opportunity to understand their experiences.
As a result, I have explored a number of roles across nursing practice and education. What has this meant for me? I have been able to combine my clinical, educational, and research perspective to develop myself further by gaining a PhD in 2013. This study and its success for me was made possible by the generosity of family carers and staff in learning disability services sharing their experiences. The published findings from this research has supported other health and social care professionals in understanding the experiences of parents when their relative has to be admitted to an acute inpatient setting.
Being back in practice as a Learning Disability Nurse Consultant after 18 very successful years in higher education, I want to implement what I think are the key principles underpinning the way we work as learning disability nurses: to be empowering, work collaboratively, in partnership, with creativity and passion to make a difference.
So, if you want a rewarding career and explore the diversity of opportunities available, why not come and join the learning disability nursing family.
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