Education experts have recommended the introduction of a competency framework to strengthen learning disability education for all nursing students.
Based on existing good practice, the report ‘Learning Disabilities – Meeting the Educational Needs of Nursing Students’, co-authored by the Learning and Disabilities Nursing Academic Network and the Council of Deans of Health (CoDH) also calls for all universities which deliver nurse education to have a link lecturer for learning disabilities and involve people with learning disabilities and their carers across their programmes.
Sue Beacock, senior lecturer, learning disabilities at the University of Hull, and one of the authors of the report, said: “This report will support colleagues and policy makers to better understand current challenges and to meet the growing need for all health and social care staff to know how to work with and care for people with a learning disability.’
Professor Dame Jessica Corner, chair of the CoDH, said: “Our members play a crucial role in educating students to work with people with learning disabilities across all health settings and this report highlights ways in which universities can ensure learning disabilities is reflected in all nursing courses.
“Although this report is focused on the fields of nursing, this is an issue for all health and social care professionals. Our hope is that this will be a first step in a wider debate about education across the professions.”
