Nursing (Pre-Registration) Learning Disability

PLEASE NOTE - There are no vacancies for January 2025 or January 2026. Please apply for January 2027 entry.

The course provides the opportunity for those who have studied an undergraduate degree to undertake a two-year full-time Master’s course and upon successful completion receive eligibility for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The course helps you to develop the skills required, in order to become a confident, competent and compassionate learning disability nurse in a rapidly changing health and social care environment.

• The course will assist you to develop both practical and theoretical skills, in order to achieve your full potential as a learning disability nurse and meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards. These include professional values, communication and interpersonal skills, nursing practice and decision making, and leadership, management and team working. Your practice learning will be field specific to meet a wide range of physical, psychological and social needs.

• This challenging and intensive course comprises 50% theory and 50% practice, where you will undertake placements in a range of settings. The course consists of two years, each comprising of a number of compulsory modules, where you will have the opportunity to study alongside students from the other fields of nursing.

• The University has strong links with NHS Trusts within the West Yorkshire and wider region, as well as private organisations who offer services to people with a learning disability.

• You will be taught by Lecturers who are committed and passionate, as well as practice supervisors and assessors who are research active and have extensive and varied experience in learning disability nursing.

• Teaching takes place in innovative and contemporary teaching and learning environments, including a fully equipped simulated ward.

• Student support will be given from personal tutors and year leaders, as well as academic learning support and experienced practice supervisors and assessors.

Being a learning disability nurse, requires patience, empathy, and listening skills. You will also have the opportunity to develop a high level of professional, inter-personal, communication, clinical, and technical skills to help improve the quality of life of people with a learning disability and their ability to live as independently as possible. You will study how to work in partnership with service users, their families, carers and other professionals to promote health and wellbeing.

Students studying this course may be eligible to receive a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 each year. Further information is available on the NHS Learning Support Fund Website.

Reasons to study Nursing (Pre-Registration) Learning Disability:

• For those who have studied a suitable undergraduate degree this course fast tracks you to become a registered nurse in two years rather than three.

• You will practise and develop your skills through a variety of clinical placements in a range of statutory, private and voluntary services, in order to prepare you to pursue your career.

• You will be supported to put values into action, looking beyond learning disability to challenging stigma, achieve social justice and enable people with learning disabilities to live fulfilling lives.

Year 1 core modules
Becoming a professional - Learning Disability Nursing
Developing critical knowledge and skills in Learning Disability Nursing
Developing research knowledge and evidence for Learning Disability Nursing practice
Introduction to Learning Disability Nursing
Understanding knowledge and evidence for nursing
Nursing Practice 1

Year 2 core modules
Developing as a professional
Nursing Practice 2
Being a professional
Enhancing knowledge and skills in Learning Disability Nursing
Using evidence and research to enhance Learning Disability Nursing practice
Nursing Practice 3

You will be assessed in a variety of ways including group presentations, practical tests, essays, report writing and exams, through which you will demonstrate your in-depth knowledge and understanding. The programme benefits from outstanding student support and services from personal tutors, year leaders and field leads, as well as academic learning support and excellent mentors in practice. Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Nursing and Midwifery Council