Learning Disability Nurses in Research - Making Research a Reality

Dr Warren Gillibrand RN, MSc. PGCE, PhD, FHEA, PGCHEP, is Acting Head of Department of Nursing and Midwifery. He joined the University of Huddersfield in 2008. He has worked predominantly in clinical and academic diabetes research/ teaching teams, and published on retinopathy screening, nursing services, psychosocial issues and patients’ experience of diabetes/ faecal incontinence and tissue viability. He was a member of the National Service Framework for Diabetes, nursing advisory panel, and a committee member for the Policy Advisory Group, Dept of Health, for the national retinopathy screening programme, 2001-2007. He has held honorary clinical appointments in acute and primary diabetes care services.  He has successfully supervised 10 Doctoral students to completion and is an external examiner for Doctoral studies in Universities World-Wide.

His research programme has the main aim of improving the lives of people in the diabetes spectrum, and I am currently pursuing knowledge in how to prevent people of all ages developing diabetes mellitus.

Amanda did her nurse training at Bradford University qualifying as a registered learning disability nurse (RNLD) in 1996.

She has worked with in various settings including respite care, day services, nursing home, a long stay unit has both a staff nurse and ward sister. She widened her career by working for Marie Curie Cancer Care using her management skills as a Nursing Team Manager within the Yorkshire Nursing Service providing palliative care to patients within their own home. Following a secondment to University of Bradford on a pre – registration nursing course as a lecturer in learning disabilities, she took up her post Matron Lead for Learning Disabilities in the acute general hospital setting. Within this role she is clinical, strategic, and training lead for learning disabilities for the Trust.

Amanda is chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Access to Acute Group and is a member of the National Learning Disability Shared Decision-Making Council.

Amanda interests are palliative care, pain management, communication and dysphagia and more recently understanding how data can make a difference. Been part of the NHSI transition collaborative in 2019 and understanding more about how data can inform practice and can make a real difference to patient experience, as led to a Trust wide health inequalities improvement programme for people with learning disabilities. 

Sam Abdulla, Lecturer in Learning/Intellectual Disability Nursing, Edinburgh Napier University

Dorothy Kupara, Learning Disability Nurse (RNLD), Senior Lecturer & Course Leader in Learning Disability Nursing, University of West London

Twitter: @wakups

Click below to view a copy of Dorothy’s presentation:

The Learning Disability Nurse Researcher… My journey so far

Ross Golightly, Learning Disability Nurse (RNLD) & Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

Twitter: @raig2505

Click below to view a copy of Ross’s presentation:

Undertaking research for MSc Advanced Clinical Practice

Josh Hodgson, Learning Disability Nurse (RNLD) & Senior Lecturer in Learning Disabilities, University of Teesside

Twitter: @JoshHodgsonRNLD

Click below to view a copy of Josh’s presentation:

Early career research as a learning disability nurse