Roxanne Burdett

I am a dual registered nurse specialising in both learning disabilities and mental health nursing, and since qualifying in 2018 I have worked as a staff nurse in high secure forensic services predominantly working on High Dependency and Admission wards.

In January I began to work on a Low Dependency Ward; preparing patients for discharge, and a Therapeutic Community Ward where group therapy is facilitated for patients. I have recently moved from a High Dependency Ward for women with Learning Disabilities.

Within this role am committed to caring for patients with a wide array of complex needs, including learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and chronic mental health disorders. Additionally, the patient group I work with display challenging behaviour that has caused them to encounter the criminal justice system, or that their risk has meant they cannot be kept safe in places of lesser security.

This programme will develop my self-belief regarding my nursing process, risk assessments and abilities; enabling me to gain confidence within my team, advocate for patients, and consider my future nursing career.

Having recently started in low dependency. I think that this programme will encourage me to think of innovative ideas for change for both patient and staff populations, as there are ongoing discussions for the future of my current ward.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to share ideas with learning disability nurses from a range of nursing backgrounds. I believe this will provide me with the opportunity to adapt ideas into something appropriate for patients in High Secure Forensics. Networking with other nurses will empower me to gain a deeper understanding of pertinent issues within the learning disability and nursing communities, providing me with the time to consider ways that these might be challenged in my current workplace.