This is the view of Jim Blair, clinical adviser in learning disabilities with the Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI) and honorary professor at Kingston and St George's Universities in London, who was speaking at the fifth annual Learning Disability Nursing conference – supported by Learning Disability Practice.
Speaking in relation to the recruitment and retention crisis in learning disability nursing, he cited several recent damning reports and high profile failures of care in the sector, as well as discussing calls for the profession to collaborate on promoting change.
Developing learning disability practice and underpinning clinical change
Mr Blair’s idea is that organisations, including the RCN, QNI and Foundation of Nursing Studies, should form a coalition to promote learning disability nursing.
He said: ‘We can build a coalition of organisations to develop learning disability practice and underpin clinical change.
‘There is fabulous work being done by learning disabilities in clinical practice in GP surgeries, and in hospitals, to save and enhance the lives of people with learning disabilities, and their families.
‘Together we can promote effective change; separately, we won’t.’
Four pillars of practice for learning disability nurses
Mr Blair also outlined four pillars of practice that he believes can improve care for people with learning disabilities:
- Reducing referral times from GPs to treatment.
- Ensuring that outpatients appointments occur and are successful for service users.
- Reducing lengths of stay in acute hospitals.
- Reducing readmission times post discharge.
Mr Blair said the conference, held in Manchester, was a great opportunity to showcase the work of learning disability nurses.
Nurses came from all over the UK for the event at which England’s chief nursing officer Ruth May and NHS England’s head of learning disability nursing David Harling spoke.
To learn more please visit World Nursing Congress 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment