This all-day conference, organised by Dr Lynne Marsh and Professor Michael Brown had unwavering support from the Learning Disabilities Nursing Academic Team, and the Final Year Student Learning Disabilities Nurses from Queen’s University Belfast. Support from the Positive Choices Committee was also received. This conference focused on celebrating the role of the Registered Nurse in Learning Disabilities (UK) and the Registered Nurse in Intellectual Disabilities (ROI) and how best to develop and enhance this unique role to meet the challenges of the future for people with learning disabilities and their families.  

 

The aim of the conference was to provide nursing students, nursing academics and nurse practitioners an opportunity to showcase and share examples of best practice to help further improve the lives of people with learning disabilities and their families. 
The conference programme provided a number of key presentations from keynote speakers from Northern Ireland, United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, focusing on developing and enhancing care outcomes to meet the challenges of registered nurses supporting people with learning disabilities and their families across the lifespan, which was the core theme of the event. Various breakaway sessions on Thursday allowed student nurses and nursing professionals to discuss best practice examples from a local and international perspective.  

 

In her opening address, Senior Lecturer and Registered Learning Disability Nurse, Dr Lynne Marsh from Queen’s University Belfast said: “We are extremely proud to be hosting this conference for over 300 delegates from over 39 HEI’s across the United Kingdom and Ireland. With more children surviving with multiple and complex disabilities and more adults surviving into older adulthood, the role of the RNLD/RNID has never been more important. This conference provides the ideal platform to showcase the role of the RNLD/RNID, their practice and aspirations to meet the future needs of this population.”  

 

Helen Laverty, MBE went on to share the history and success of Positive Choices and reminded our student nursing delegates that they can make a positive and meaningful difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities and their families. 

 

Ms Maria McIlgorm, Chief Nursing Officer Northern Ireland, keynote address contextualised the Northern Ireland experience and highlighted that continuity of care is fundamental with RNLD’s/RNID’s playing a critical role in the delivery of this person centred care for people with a learning disability. As a professional that knows the person and their history best, “we can continue to enhance care provision ensuring that the patient is at the centre of all that is done.”  

 

Dr Éilish Burke, Associate Professor in Ageing and Intellectual Disability from Trinity College Dublin said “the intellectual disability nursing profession provides unique specialised person-centred care for people with intellectual disability, promoting healthcare equity, inclusivity, independence and equality for all”.

 

These key values were reiterated and reinforced by our many guest speakers locally and internationally throughout the day including Mr Craig Bell, NHS Forth Valley Learning Disabilities Service, Mr Mark Mulholland, from a fathers’ perspective, Dr Freda McCormick, QUB, Mr Sam Abdulla, Edinburgh Napier University, Ms Kathryn Vaux, Community Learning Disability Team, Northern Ireland and Ms Siobhan Rogan, Public Health Agency for Northern Ireland. This conference was also supported through music, dance and drama from 
local and international groups of people with learning disabilities. Themes such as “We want you to make a difference” performed by MiXiT and “We are a MakaFamily- see us as us” performed by Makasong, added to the richness of the conference event showcasing individuals’ abilities, capabilities and was acknowledged by standing ovations from a captivated audience. 

 

In her closing address, Dr Marsh acknowledged that in 2019, 100 years of learning disability nursing was celebrated in the UK and the future is bright for learning disabilities nursing for another 100 years. She said: “providing safe, compassionate and effective patient centred care for people with learning disabilities and their families across the lifespan that we can be proud remains at the heart of our practice and future.”