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Learning disabilities nursing is a great career choice if you are compassionate and keen to support people with learning disabilities and/or autism who face physical, mental and social challenges.
Year of entry
Location
CU Scarborough (Scarborough)
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
3 years full-time
Course code
B761
Start date
September 2024
Fully accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council1 (NMC) providing eligibility for registration as a nurse on successful completion of the course (additional costs may apply).
Learning disability (LD) nurses play a critical role in improving their patients’ physical and mental health, reducing barriers to them living an independent life and supporting them to lead a fulfilling and healthy life where they can relate to others on equal terms. A hugely rewarding profession, it is a great career choice if you are compassionate and keen to support individuals of all ages through the many physical, mental and social challenges facing people with learning disabilities.
This course aims to prepare you for the dynamic and fast-changing health and social care system, developing you into an adaptable, flexible, reflective, competent and compassionate practitioner. Actively engaging with people with learning disabilities, their families and carers, you’ll have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience under supervision from qualified mentors on placement.
While the course has a clear focus on people with learning disabilities, a key benefit of our curriculum is the notion of collaboration across all areas of health and social care. Your studies will be complemented with significant insights into a range of potential challenges to health and wellbeing throughout the lifespan, such as mental health, complex care and life limiting conditions. Some modules are also studied in conjunction with other health and social care professionals; looking at specific issues and challenges they face to broaden your knowledge and expertise.
You will have the opportunity to learn the value of people with learning disabilities as equal citizens and people who have a real contribution to make to your development as a caring professional nurse in this unique field of practice. You will have the opportunity to study and develop specialist skills in communication, comprehensive health assessment, equality and issues related to professional practice. This includes complex health needs, profound and multiple needs, care packages and therapeutic approaches to service users with learning disabilities, their families and carers.
The collaborative curriculum, which you’ll study alongside students from other health-related courses, has been developed in response to the need to produce professionals who are effective communicators, caring and compassionate, with good relationship-building skills. It recognises the importance of interprofessional working within the health and social care workforce.
Placing equal value on practice and theory, undertaking 800 hours of both per year, you will have the opportunity to study a wide range of subjects, including anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, psychology, sociology and research methods. This course will give you the opportunity to become immersed in learning about the needs of populations, individuals, related health and nursing services with an emphasis on using research to enhance and improve services.
Your degree culminates with a literature review related to one aspect of nursing practice, equivalent to the standard dissertation, for which you will write a 4,000-word report. Past students have covered topics as diverse as effects of antipsychotic medication, uptake of annual health checks, treatment of people with LD in acute hospital settings, experiences of parents with LD and experiences of offenders with LD, for example.
This course is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:
The course is fully accredited by the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the 2023/24 intake and, providing you also meet the NMC requirements, on successful completion you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The Nursing and Midwifery Council is the regulator for nursing and midwifery professions in the UK. It maintains a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses eligible to practise within the UK.
Learning Disability Nurses are activists, advocates, investigators and carers. We are proud to support the Royal College of Nursing in celebrating this wonderful profession.
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Each and every nursing student who graduated from CU Scarborough last year has now found work within local NHS services.
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We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
This course uses a wide variety of stimulating approaches to teaching and learning to suit individual learning styles. This includes a series of interactive lectures with associated seminars, skills lab activities and practical placements. All modules are mandatory to enable you to exit the programme with the knowledge, values and skills to be able to work within integrated care settings and enhance the delivery of care for service users, their families and carers.
The course is underpinned by an approach to professional care which is characterised by empathy, respect, dignity and kindness towards patients and their families. We will encourage you to develop an in-depth understanding of the organisation and culture of modern healthcare systems, equipping you with the confidence to be able to take a stronger role in the leadership and management of resources in delivering treatment and healthcare options to patients.
Throughout your studies, in groups and individually, you will undertake profession specific health and social care related projects and case studies. These may, for example, include an appraisal of the role of the nurse in ethical and legal decision making, considering service improvement bids or complex care planning and delivery via the multi-disciplinary team. You will also participate in a group poster presentation demonstrating your understanding of research underpinning patient care.
You’ll make use of our extensive simulation facilities4 – from basic life support manikins to high-tech simulation dummies, which emulate patient responses and test resuscitation skills.
Gaining experience using simulation across a range of care settings is aimed at building your confidence and knowledge about how to act in these situations. You can practise and develop your clinical and interpersonal skills in a safe but realistic environment. We also use actors to enhance these experiences in scenarios which include breaking bad news, demonstrating emotional resilience, conflict, aggression, teaching and child protection conferences.
The number of full-time contact hours may vary from module to module, however, on average, it is likely to be around 20 contact hours per week. Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 20 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.
The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.
As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2023/2024 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.
Assessment methods vary and include, practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, laboratory experiments, tutorial tasks and assessments, which take place at the end of each six-week block.
Course breakdown:
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.
Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.
2024/25 tuition fees.
Student | Full-time | Part-time |
---|---|---|
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man | £9,250 per year | Not available |
EU | £9,250 per year with EU Support Bursary** £19,850 per year without EU Support Bursary** |
Not available |
International | £19,850 per year | Not available |
All eligible home students on this course can apply for a minimum payment from the Government of £5,000 per year, with additional payments for students incurring childcare costs6.
The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home students), if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.
For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.
For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see the University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.
The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:
The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.
Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.
You’ll be able to make use of our simulation facilities4. You will use equipment found in the real world of practice, such as medical devices to assist with all elements of care including medication administration, to help build confidence before you go on placement.
Gaining experience using simulation across a range of care settings is aimed at building your confidence and knowledge about how to act in these situations. You can practise and develop your clinical and interpersonal skills in a safe but realistic environment.
We may use actors to enhance your experience, giving you the opportunity to replicate real-life situations including breaking bad news, demonstrating emotional resilience, conflict and aggression.
On successful completion of this course, our students will be able to:
Full-time UK undergraduate students apply through UCAS. Otherwise, you will need to apply to CU directly. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.
If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.
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International codes:
HLSU197B
International students should apply directly to CU directly. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.
How to applyFor further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International pages or Coventry University Group's International hub.
If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.
Chat with our admissions team
Complete our contact form