During Disability Awareness Month (16 November – 16 December 2023), Year 12 Health and Social Care students at HNC participated in an enlightening lecture on Learning Disabilities, led by Emma Stripe from the School of Human and Health Sciences at the University of Huddersfield.
The lecture focused on the importance of specialist nursing when caring for those with learning disabilities and additional needs, as well as supporting patients with their mental health. During the session, the group discussed the stigmas that patients face, as well as the barriers patients face when seeking the treatment they need, and how this can impact their wider wellbeing. Emma, who specialises in Disability Nursing, covered the broad range of responsibilities that the role of a Disability Nurse covers – from hospital admissions to care in the community – and what a day in the life of a nurse working on the front line in this essential service looks like. The group also took part in an informative session about the university’s broad range of nursing degrees, and shared some application and interview process hints and tips ahead of students starting their UCAS applications later in the academic year.
Zoe Potts, Head of Faculty Enlighten for Health and Sport, comments “Students studying Health and Social Care at HNC often aspire to work with people within a healthcare setting. An important part of our students’ learning is discovering the wide range of progression possibilities available to them after they’ve completed their level 3 studies. Hearing more about the role of a Learning Disability Nurse during Disability Awareness Month shows the importance that specialist nursing roles play in providing care for a range of patients and has genuinely inspired our students to consider a career in Disability Nursing”.
You can find out more about our Health and Social Care course at our upcoming lesson tasters on Tuesday 23 January here.