Physical health care: exploring attitudes and confidence among learning disability nurses
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Physical health care: exploring attitudes and confidence among learning disability nurses

Sarah Eley Research nurse, The University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland
Gearóid Brennan Nurse, NHS Lothian, Scotland
Scott Tayor Nurse consultant, NHS Lothian, Scotland
Andrew Stanfield Senior clinical research fellow, honorary consultant psychiatrist, The University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland

Why you should read this article:
  • To recognise the importance of people with learning disabilities receiving appropriate physical health care

  • To understand the factors that may influence learning disability nurses’ attitudes and confidence about their role in providing physical health care

  • To consider how nurses’ perceived barriers to delivering physical health care could be addressed

Background In people with learning disabilities, physical health conditions are often managed inadequately or not identified and therefore not treated, leading to preventable premature deaths. Learning disability nurses have a crucial role in improving the physical health care provided to this patient population.

Aim To explore the attitudes and confidence of learning disability nurses about their role in the physical health care of people with learning disabilities in inpatient care settings.

Method A link to an online survey was sent to all nurses working in inpatient learning disability care settings in Scotland. The survey contained demographic, clinical training and lifestyle questions and a modified version of the Physical Health Attitudes Scale.

Results Respondents generally had positive attitudes towards physical health care and were involved in many aspects of clients’ physical health care. Female gender, being a non-smoker and not being overweight were generally associated with more positive attitudes. There was a relative lack of confidence about knowledge of the side effects of psychotropic medicines and the signs and symptoms of hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia. The main barriers to physical health care delivery were difficulties in getting clients to follow advice on healthy eating and weight management.

Conclusion Post-registration training on the physical health care of people with learning disabilities is likely to be beneficial.

Learning Disability Practice. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2024.e2260

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

s.eley@ed.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Eley S, Brennan G, Tayor S et al (2024) Physical health care: exploring attitudes and confidence among learning disability nurses. Learning Disability Practice. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2024.e2260

Published online: 28 November 2024

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