‘The future is in our hands’

On page 5 of the April issue of RCN Bulletin, Anthony Green writes about what inspired him to pursue a career in learning disability nursing. Find out more about the campaign he has helped launch to encourage more people to specialise in this vital branch of care

Many people choose a career in nursing because a particular person or experience has influenced their lives. For learning disability nursing student Anthony Green, it was his Uncle Tony. “Tony was the most kind and caring person I’ve ever met,” Anthony says. “He taught me everything I know about how to treat people with compassion and has been a huge motivating force in my life.”

It was knowing and loving Tony, Anthony insists, that led him to become a support worker and go on to do nurse training. “Tony didn’t realise he was teaching me the values and beliefs that would shape my career path, he was just being himself. But he was my hero and idol and had all the qualities you would want to see in a registered nurse. He was very aware of his learning disability but he didn’t let it limit him. Without his influence, I haven’t got a clue what I would be doing now.”

Tony had Down’s syndrome and sadly, three years ago, passed away at the age of 50. The loss spurred Anthony to start his degree and try to make a difference to the lives of others.
“Whenever I am at work or on placement, I just think about what I would have wanted for Tony,” he says. “Would the care I give to individuals be the same or at a level I would have found acceptable for him? Is the support of my colleagues what I would have liked for him? And if it isn’t, then I need to highlight areas I believe could be improved. As a future registered nurse, it is my duty of care to do so.”

It is this ethos and passion for ensuring quality that has driven Anthony to challenge the image and recruitment crisis currently threatening the future of learning disability nursing. Last July he won a competition to create the “ultimate advert” to enthuse others about the profession.
Anthony started off with a poster campaign, but not content with its potential reach and influence, he secured funding to build a whole new website. With fellow RCN members Sean Ledington and Tracy March, he has gained support from the Department of Health, employers and charities to launch www.learningdisabilitynurse.com

“The website is a portal for best practice, seeking advice, sharing inspirational stories and finding out about jobs,” says Anthony. “We want it to be the place to go for anyone interested in this type of work and anyone who already has the bug for learning disability nursing. This is how I believe I can make a difference and ensure the legacy of my Uncle Tony lives on.”

There is no doubt that the campaign is needed. Fewer and fewer students are qualifying in this branch of nursing and by next year only 19 universities will continue to provide specialist training.

“All the learning disability nursing students I’ve come across are committed to carving out a bright future for people in their care but there simply aren’t enough of us,” concludes Anthony. “We’re heading for a workforce crisis but I will do everything in my power to prevent that happening. The future is in our hands.”

What is the problem?

The outlook for learning disability nursing has been a cause for concern for some time. The number of students choosing to undertake specialist training is dwindling and the image of the profession has nosedived in recent years. A report released last July revealed the extent of the problem. It showed learning disability nurses employed by the NHS have halved in number since 1995 and less than 70 per cent of those who start on courses ultimately register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The needs of the most vulnerable in society, however, are not in decline. It is estimated that almost two million people in England have a learning disability and many of those have associated complex health needs that increase their dependency on services under strain.

What is the RCN doing about it?

The RCN is undertaking a scoping project with third-year learning disability nursing students to establish what attracted them to the career, their work plans upon qualification and what benefits and barriers they might experience in their first job. It is being carried out in close collaboration with the four UK health department learning disability leads and aims to explore how the RCN can support learning disability nursing in the future around workforce planning, career development and education.

The value of learning disability nursing will also be highlighted at the RCN’s annual Congress in Harrogate where a film will be launched to celebrate the unique contribution nurses make to the lives of the most vulnerable people in society.

Find out about the RCN Learning Disability Nursing Forum
RCN members can join up to three of the RCN's specialist nursing forums for free at MyRCN.