Ross Sheridan

Ross Sheridan is MSc Learning Disability Nurse and trained at Edge Hill University. Having worked in Healthcare for 10 years, Ross started his career working at general nursing home after finishing his BSc Degree in Pharmacology at the University of Liverpool. I then left the nursing home to work at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust specialising in caring for people with mental health issues where he stayed for 3 years working in Inpatient and Community services before being granted a secondment to study Nursing.

I had so many amazing opportunities during my training. The one that stands out the most of me has been able to at spent 2 weeks in China saying how they nearest trading is and open up my eyes to a whole different culture to nursing. Whilst in China I also had the great opportunity to teach the student was it is like to be a learning disability nurse and some Markaton sign language.

After complete my training I started my career in a general nursing home and within a residential care home for adults with a learning disability.

I have always been around Healthcare as both my parents are Nurses. What really sparked my interest was seeing my mum studying for her diploma. I sat with her in our living room, watching the film Patch Adams. Seeing how the patients were viewed as real human beings and not just a bed number, condition or disease has stuck with me every day.’

Direct from Patch Adams, my favorite quote is, ‘You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome’.

I now work for Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust after started as a staff nurse on their Inpatient CAMHS unit I have now moved to role as a Community Learning Disability Practitioner working with children with a severe learning disability, working closely with families, schools and other provisions to achieve the goals the family and children want.

Last year I was in a very fortunate position to travel to India with my colleague Dr Antoinette Bewley to see how nursing students go through their training and see their healthcare practices. We taught them stress management techniques and Positive Behaviour Support techniques.

I know things have been tough for us all but I say to myself every time I go to work, “No matter how hard things get, as long as I make the people I care for and their family smile at least once a day, I know I’m doing my job right.