As Learning Disability Week continues, we are sharing powerful reflections from those working every day to ensure people with a learning disability are seen, heard, and valued across the South West.

Today, we hear from a Sarah Thornell, Lead Nurse for Learning Disability and Autism at Royal united Hospital Bath NHS Foundation Trust, whose career spans over two decades – shaped by personal experience, professional passion, and an unwavering belief in what learning disability nursing can achieve. From early memories of advocacy to bringing the beach to a hospital bedside, this story is a moving reminder of the impact of compassionate, personalised care.

Sarah Thornell and one of her patients

Sarah told us: “Twenty-six years ago, I pinned on my badge as a newly qualified learning disability nurse, not yet knowing how deeply this path would shape my life – or the lives I’d help shape in return.

I came into nursing with something deeply personal: my dad had cerebral palsy. From a young age, I was fighting for better care, for equality, for dignity. That fight became a lifelong mission. What I didn’t expect was the privilege that would come with it – the quiet, powerful honour of standing beside people during some of their most vulnerable, and most triumphant, moments.

I’ve supported people leaving long-stay institutions to step into their very first homes, keys jingling in hand and hope in their eyes. I’ve helped those with fierce independence who only needed a little support – navigating a bus route, understanding a hospital letter – to live the life they deserved. I’ve been at bedsides, too, when the road came to an end. I once brought the beach to someone’s hospital room because it was their final wish – to hear the seagulls, to feel sand beneath their fingers. We made it happen.

No two days have ever been the same.

Being a learning disability nurse isn’t about ticking boxes or doing tasks. It’s about seeing people – really seeing them. Their fears, their joys, their habits, their humour. We notice what others miss. We listen differently. We ask questions others forget to ask. Sometimes, we’re the voice that gets heard when someone else can’t speak. We’re not just part of the care team – we’re the missing puzzle piece that helps everything else fit together.

In my current role in an acute hospital, I support people with learning disabilities and autistic people as both inpatients and outpatients. But honestly, the job title never captures the whole story. Some days, I’m an advocate. Other days, I’m a detective, problem-solver, bridge-builder. Always, I’m a believer—in people, in potential, in progress.

If you’re thinking about a career in learning disability nursing, know this: it will change you. It will challenge you. And it will give you moments that stay with you forever.

We see people first. Always. And what a privilege that is.”

We are proud to highlight the dedication, heart, and humanity that define learning disability nursing. Stories like Sarah’s remind us that being seen, heard, and valued is not just a theme – it is a daily commitment.

To explore what a career in learning disability nursing could look like for you, visit the Health Careers website. Or to share your experience of learning disability nursing, contact england.swcomms@nhs.net.