Learning disability nursing: a position paper

Abstract

Learning disability nurses in the UK have received unprecedented attention over the past 5 years in response to anxieties about their role. The problem has been conceptualized as being the inability of nurses to articulate their contribution to meeting the needs of people with learning disabilities and a lack of evidence of their effectiveness. This paper proposes that, although nurses are valued for their contribution individually in services, they are working within devaluing systems which have created conceptual and strategic uncertainty about learning disabilities generally. In order to move forward, nurses need to understand the ways in which these systems exert their influence. It is proposed that if three broad aims for the profession are pursued this will help improve practice whilst simultaneously helping nurses feel more secure about their contribution in the field of learning disabilities.