Welcome to the new Learning Disability Nursing forum

webbiedebbie · Mar 14, 2003

Ooops, thought this would be for nurses with learning disability.

Anyway, after reading the posts, I can see that this forum will be very beneficial!

Good idea Brian!

NursieRN · Apr 13, 2003

Brian, thank you for changing the name to DD to encompass

all developmental disabilities! Much obliged!!

I work at a residental facility for DD in pediatrics. We also provide services for members of our community with DD. We even have

our own school for the disabled!

This is a very special and rewarding area of nursing and I look

forward to discussing it with all of you!

tris · May 31, 2003

Glad I found this spot---I am new in this field--as well as to the greater DFW area so am doubly challenged.

I have pretty much always been a hospital nurse, and this is so different. Our program deals with the disabled from birth mostly

CP, and through it they are allowed to stay in their own homes!!

Wonderful thing, most of them seem to thrive.

I will be looking in often,

Thanks

vocserlpn · Jun 4, 2003

I am so happy I found this forum!! I work in Vocational Services. We have about 19 different programs here. 4 RCF's and 2 ICF's, plus a sheltered work facility. I am the Vocational Services / Worker's Comp LPN. I mainly work with the clients that come here to do paid work and vocational programing. I also oversee all the staff work comp injuries. I have been here 3 years and it is the most rewarding postion I have ever had. It is too bad that more people didn't know about this field of work!!

Thank You Again!!!!

SunnyChickRN · Jun 8, 2003

Hi everyone! I am a newly graduated RN and have yet to take boards, soon though! I have just accepted a position on a Neurosciences unit at a large teaching hospital. Right now I just want to get my feet wet as a new nurse and work on my nursing skills. I would someday like to work with either children or adults with Autism or other developmental disabilities. I guess my question is similar to nrs-jlm's....How exactly do you get involved with this kind of nursing? Are there certifications here in the US that you can get? ( I live in Ohio) Any help or info from currrent RN's working in this field would be appreciated.

nicudaynurse · Jun 8, 2003

SunnyChickRN,

I work in outpatient pediatric neurology clinic at a Children's hospital as well as NICU. The majority of the kids I work with have developmental disabilities.

There are a variety of ways that you could work with developmentally disabled children. You could work Pedi. home health, neurology clinic at a childrens hospital, grouphomes for kids. Also there are larger homes for kids sort of like "pediatric nursing homes" . Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) is another option. You could also work a summer camp (epilepsy, etc...).

I really don't know of any certifications for developmental disability nursing.

The Neurosciences unit will be a good place to start and I do know that there is national organization for Neuroscience nurses and I think that there is a certification exam.

Hope this helps! If you have any additional questions let me know!

debralynn · Jul 10, 2003

:) I too am very interested in this forum. Yes I am a recent LPN grad, but my interest is because I have a 20 yr. old MR son. And we have been on all types of meds for his behavior. It will be very interesting for me to see the topics discussed here. Glad this forum is here!!!!:)

jkw · Oct 22, 2003

I am a registered nurse who works in geriatrics. I have a 9 year old 185lb son with autism, MR, OCD and Epilepsy. I am grateful for the forum. It helps to see the nurses perspective. I work in geriatrics-obviously I am my sons own dev. disability nurse -ha ha. I give my gratitude and thanks to all of those out there helping these wonderful people.

sixes · Oct 22, 2003

Hats off too all of you. I am an RN. We are arising our nephew who is autistic and border line MR. What a challenge. Evertihing is black and white. And when he decides he wants something you had better have had it figured out 10 minutes ago. He communicates fairly well.

He recently has had 2 grand Mal siesures one was at school so now he associates "nightmares" with school and just won't go if we try and force him he becomes aggressive and hits me and then himself. I new behavior since his seizure is taking his member out of his pants and showing everyone. Nothing we do or say detours him.

He has actually been charged with an indecent act.

He has been banned from school yards even though he is constantly supervised he could never go anywhere on his own.

He isn't even allowed to enjoy the local beach

He has become a prisoner in his own home our yard is 6'by6' and leads to a common area he has been banned from there also. We have asked for help form the community and schools but to no avail. We applied for respite in may and still nothing has come of it.

the judge is trying to see if he can forces these agencies to help us

I know you'll tell us to move but our lease is until May 04 and it will cost us $$$$$ to break it

Thanks for letting me vent

Bye the way I live in North Bay Ontario

Any suggestions would be of great help

PSA, RN · Oct 22, 2003

So glad to see this new topic. My son has CP, autism, DD, PVL, and a long list of other dx's. Look forward to hearing from nurses who work in this field.

Thanks

debyan · Oct 22, 2003

Great Idea Brian, I worked in this field for 15 yrs I loved it.

deb

MarthaJ · Dec 10, 2003

I am a RN and have coordinated a neonatal follow-up clinic for the last 13 years. I consider the area I'm in to be in the developmental disability category. There aren't any other forums I know of for this category for nurses.

I'm 49 and just finished getting my BSN (I was a diploma prepared nurse) and have started working on a masters in a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program. You are never too old to go back to school!

If any of you work in the pediatric population there is a good conference March 27-31 in Nashville--The Young Child With Special Needs--it is full of all sorts of talks regarding areas of develpmental disabilities.