Guest Post

Learning Disabilities Nurses Supporting Families With an Autism Diagnosis

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The role of the Registered Nurse Learning Disabilities (RNLD) and the wider MDT in supporting families with an autism diagnosis Chloe Hawkins, Learning Disabilities Student Nurse Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition which is present from birth (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2021). Autism presents differently in each individual, however there … Read more

A mother’s lifelong support by Jill Edwards

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A mother’s lifelong support Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a serious, inherited, long term condition. CF primarily affects the lungs and digestive system but as it progresses other organs are affected. CF related diabetes (a different form of diabetes to type 1 & 2), liver disease, CF related arthritis and osteoporosis are complications of CF. People … Read more

Nephrotic mumma: chronic illness and motherhood by Sophie Clifford

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Living with an invisible chronic illness isn’t easy: you end up having rehearsed answers to lots of questions about your health, you know what it’s like to live with permanent fatigue, big worries about the future are just things you think about every day, you are incredibly good at collecting water samples in tiny bottles and you are probably on first name terms with a few of the nurses at your local hospital. Earlier this year I decided to add a baby into this craziness and the last 7 months have been the biggest learning curve of my life.

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Rare disease day 2022

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Hello, my name is Jess and I am a Zebra!

RARE DISEASE DAY 2022?

Today is international rare disease day, a day which means so much to me as a person with multiple rare diseases! There are over 6000 rare diseases and so many people have to fight for care every single day meaning they have to teach and guide healthcare professionals rather than the other way round!

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Family Matters Campaign for Huntington’s Disease

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  May is Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month. This year the national organisations that support people impacted by Huntington’s disease across Ireland, England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, have joined together as the Huntington’s Disease Alliance UK and Ireland. Family members from each region are sharing their stories and contributions in the collective ‘Family Matters’ … Read more

A student’s perspective on communicating with families of children with learning disabilities

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Chloe Hawkins – Learning Disability Nursing Student, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK   Terminology when supporting families of children with learning disabilities is as vital as the nursing care we provide… Specialised family support for all is an essential part of nursing care. Recent figures reported by the International Family Nursing Association show how increased family … Read more

Pregnant women and their families should not be left behind in the fight against COVID-19

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Professor Hora Soltani MBE, PhD, MMedSci, BSc, RM I am not an expert in communicable diseases, particularly with this strange virus which caught all of us offhand. However, out of professional and personal curiosity, I have been looking at the literature surrounding COVID-19 and pregnancy adverse outcomes and explored some recent evidence on the short … Read more

A student’s experience of family nursing

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Emily Carr – Adult Nursing Student, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK   My experience of family nursing The word ‘family’ evokes, for many, the traditional sense of a nuclear family: wife, husband and children, but the modern world demands an ever developing need to move away from this restricted view. This is especially pertinent within the … Read more