Nursing (Learning Disabilities)

Our innovative Nursing (Learning Disabilities) degree will enable you to develop the knowledge and skills needed for this rewarding career where you can enable each person you care and treat to reach their full potential, flourish and live their best lives in the communities where they learn, work, play, age and love. A key aspect of the work learning disabilities nurses do is advocacy, to ensure the people they care for have choice, control and independence in all aspects of their daily lives.

Learning disabilities nurses work in a diverse range of settings, such as people's homes, education, residential and community centres, hospitals and with specialist Autism services, breaking down barriers to reduce health inequalities and close the health gap between people with a learning disability and the general population.

On this course, you'll develop the knowledge and skills to work with multi-professional teams to deliver person-centred, compassionate and culturally informed practice that positively impacts the health and wellbeing outcomes of the people you care for.

Throughout your studies, you’ll actively engage with contemporary research and learn how to assess, lead, co-ordinate and deliver care to people and their families at home, in the community or in hospital.

You’ll build your knowledge and skills of therapeutic interventions and the pharmacological management of disease, including the safe administration of medication. You’ll learn and practise your clinical skills in a safe and controlled environment through teaching sessions in dedicated facilities, including clinical suites and replicated community settings, supported by digital health technologies.

Through shared learning opportunities and collaboration with students from related disciplines, you’ll develop your ability to appreciate the contribution other healthcare professionals make to people’s care and health outcomes. Service users and carers will also contribute to your learning through their lived experience of health and social care services.

Placements In each year of the programme, you will spend 50% of the time on campus studying theory and clinical skills in the safe environment of our simulation suites and 50% in real-world practice, on placement in healthcare settings with local NHS trusts or in private or voluntary organisations. Practice placement blocks are 37.5 hours per week and there are two 11-week blocks in each year of the programme. During this time, you’ll be supported by experienced practice supervisors and assessors who will provide tailored feedback and you’ll complete an online portfolio to monitor your progress and achievements while on placement.

Graduate opportunities On successful completion of the Nursing (Learning Disabilities) degree, you will be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to practise as a nurse (on the relevant part of the register) in the UK. The vocational nature of this degree means most graduates progress quickly into employment within their chosen field of Nursing.

The range of potential career opportunities in learning disabilities nursing are wide ranging and you will be able to apply for roles within NHS Trusts, the local authority and private and voluntary providers and charities, prison service as well as the armed forces and working overseas. You may choose to pursue a role as a community learning disabilities nurse, epilepsy nurse, safeguarding nurse, behavioural specialist nurse, specialist nurse for people with Autism, manager of residential or supported living services or consider a career within scientific or academic research.