An exploration of community learning disability nurses’ therapeutic role

Accessible summary•  Community Learning Disability Nurses were asked to talk about how they felt they had helped people in their care feel better. •  They talked about helping as a positive approach to problems, making the most of existing help, understanding what it means to have a Learning Disability, using time and communication, and teaching and learning. •  This is important because it can help people to understand the needs of people with learning disability and what help Community Learning Disabilities Nurses give.Summary This literature review and primary qualitative research explores therapeutic role from the perspective of Community Learning Disability Nurses. Semi‐structured interviews, based on Critical Incident Technique ( Psychol Bull , 51, 1954, 327), and descriptive phenomenological methodology were adopted to elicit data amenable to systematic content analysis (Mayring 2000). This resulted in the identification of six inductive categories (therapeutic optimism, maximising support networks, time as a therapeutic tool, creative communication, understanding Learning Disability and initiating learning). Three deducted categories were derived from relevant literature (nature of the events, outcomes of therapeutic role, and therapeutic relationship). The sample consisted of seven practicing Community Learning Disability Nurses with two or more years experience managing an adult caseload, recruited via a professional networking forum. A conceptual model was developed indicating the multicomponent and interconnected nature of the therapeutic role.