Ruth Hirst

Ruth qualified as a registered learning disabilities nurse in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2018. Ruth worked as a nurse in specialised community and inpatient settings for adults with a learning disability before joining Birmingham City University as a learning disability nursing lecturer in March 2022.

Her nursing roles include working in a forensic inpatient service caring for women with a learning disability and as a community nurse providing early intervention and intensive support to adults with learning disabilities in the community across Birmingham. 

As a nursing student, Ruth was part of a professional student nurse networking group that promoted the benefits of online networking. This included opportunities to connect with other nursing students and nurses across the profession, to enhance knowledge and skills to promote the profession and to share optimal practice to benefit people with learning disabilities.

Ruth co-authored her experience of this in Learning Disability Practice.