Learning Disability Nursing BSc (Hons)

Course Content

• Course Details

  The Learning Disability Nursing degree at UON has been designed to contribute towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3 of Good Health and Wellbeing and SDG5 Gender Equality.

  Our vision is to enable people with learning disabilities to lead healthy and valued lives. We want to make this a reality by recruiting people who are passionate about caring with learning disabilities and want to make a positive difference to their lives.

  This Learning Disability Nursing course gives you a registration through the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a nurse for people with learning disabilities. This field equips you with nursing skills to work within health and social care environments with people with learning disabilities. Studying this course will enable you to work with a wide range of other professions that care for people with learning disabilities and their families. The practical placements that you will take throughout this nursing learning disability degree will be in a variety of health, education and social care settings with people of all ages that have a range of learning disabilities.

  After successful completion of the learning disability nursing programme, you’ll be awarded an Honours degree and can register as a Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). This will allow you to practice in accordance with the NHS Constitution which is underpinned by the core NHS values.

  

  Taught elements include:

  • public and population health
  • assessing planning and providing care
  • leading nursing care
  • working in teams
  • coordinating and improving quality of care.

  What separates us from other learning disability nurse courses is our amazing teaching staff, all of whom are professionally and academically qualified within their field. You will be allocated a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) who will be a professional within the nursing team and would normally remain your PAT for the three years of your study. They can offer you continued support and guidance.

  List of modules:

  Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 25/26. The modules relating to the academic year 26/27 will be available from June 2026.

  • Stage 1
    • Interprofessional Education (IPE)
      Module code: FHS_IPE20

      Status: Compulsory
    • Discovering My Identity as a Nurse (20 Credits)
      Module code: NPR1027

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to develop nursing students self awareness, personal and professional resilience and professional identity as a nurse understanding how health science, social and political knowledge, behaviour, vocabulary and skills form their nursing identity. Additionally the module will develop communication skills and understanding of how constructive feedback can be used to evaluate self and effect positive change.
    • Professionalism and Public Protection in Nursing (20 Credits)
      Module code: NPR1028

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to provide the student nurse with underpinning theoretical knowledge of the scientific, legal, professional and personal context of nursing in order to participate in practice safely, ethically and lawfully across all fields of nursing and within a range of clinical practice settings.
    • Exploring the Evidence Base for Nursing (20 Credits)
      Module code: NPR1029

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to equip nursing students with the theoretical foundation, skills and evidenced based knowledge to fully participate in person centred decision making, influence positive lifestyle choices and beginning the students? own professional development.
    • Guided Participation in Nursing Care (60 Credits)
      Module code: NPR1031P

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to provide the essential clinical learning and simulation and practice experiences a student requires to achieve the NMC proficiencies, enabling progression through to the 2nd part of the programme. Through their electronic portfolio (Pebblepad), signed by their practice supervisor and practice assessor, and moderated by the academic assessor, students will demonstrate achievement of the skills and professional behaviours identified at the first progression point by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. During clinical learning all students will be required to undertake clinical skills via a range of simulation techniques to meet the Achievement of Proficiency in the PAD. These will be signed off by the Module Team/Practice Assessor.
  • Stage 2
    • Constructing and Developing My Nursing Identity (20 Credits)
      Module code: NPR2067

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to further develop adult, children and young people?s, mental health and learning disability nursing students self-awareness, personal and professional resilience and professional identity as a nurse, deepening understanding of how health science, social and political knowledge, behaviour, vocabulary and skills form their nurse identity and enable them to problem solve within their field of nursing. Additionally the module will further develop communication skills including responding to constructive feedback to evaluate self and effect positive change.
    • Applying Understanding of Nursing Professionalism and Protection of the Public in Nursing (20 Credits)
      Module code: NPR2068

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to build on and further develop adult, children and young people?s, learning disability and mental health student nurses theoretical knowledge, advancing their critical understanding and application of the generic and field specific scientific, legal and professional context of nursing, enabling them to initiate safe practice that is ethical and lawful across all fields of nursing and within a range of clinical practice settings.
    • Interpreting the Evidence Base Influencing Learning Disability Nursing (20 Credits)
      Module code: NPR2071

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to further develop Learning Disability nursing students professional development, theoretical foundation, skills and evidenced absed knowledge to initiate person centred decision making, influencing positive lifestyle choices, improve health outcomes and understand the appropriateness and quality of care to effect service improvement.
    • Active Participation in Nursing Care (60 Credits)
      Module code: NPR2074P

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to provide the essential clinical learning and simulation and practice experiences students require to achieve the set of NMC proficiencies enabling progression through to the 3rd part of the programme. Through the electronic portfolio (Pebblepad), signed by their practice supervisor and practice assessor, and moderated by the academic assessor, students will demonstrate achievement of the skills and professional behaviours, relevant to chosen field of nursing, identified at the second progression point by the Nursing and midwifery council. During clinical learning all students will be required to undertake clinical skills via a range of simulation techniques to meet the Achievement of Proficiency in the PAD. These will be signed off by the Module Team/Practice Assessor.
  • Stage 3
    • Developing My Nurse Identity Towards Becoming a Registrant (20 Credits)
      Module code: NPR3035

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to further develop adult, children and young people?s, learning disability and mental health nursing students critical self awareness, personal and professional resilience and professional identity as a nurse, deepening understanding of how complex health science, social and political knowledge, behaviour, vocabulary and skills enable collaborative leadership and effect change management within their chosen field. Additionally the module will further develop advanced communication skills including delivering constructive feedback to effect positive change.
    • Becoming a Professional, Responsible, and Accountable Registered Nurse (20 Credits)
      Module code: NPR3036

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to further develop the adult, children and young people's, learning disability and mental health student nurses wide ranging theoretical knowledge, enabling them to critically evaluate, lead, manage and reflect on the application of the scientific, legal and professional context of nursing in their chosen field, ensuring safe, ethical and lawful practice across all fields of nursing and in a range of clinical practice settings.
    • Demonstrating Competence and Confidence in Safe, Effective Administration and Optimization of Medicines and the Health Numeracy Assessment
      Module code: NPR3037

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to ensure adult, children and young people's, learning disability and mental health student nurses knowledge and understanding of pharmacology, the principles of safe effective administration and optimisation of medicines, their proficiency and accuracy when calculating dosages of prescribed medicines and their application of the health numeracy assessment, in the relevant clinical setting is complete, enabling student nurses to join the NMC nursing register in their chosen field, with the ability to progress to a prescribing qualification following registration.
    • Leading and Coordinating Learning Disability Nursing Care (60 Credits)
      Module code: NPR3040P

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to provide the essential clinical learning and simulation and practice experiences Learning disability nursing students require to achieve completion of the set of NMC proficiencies enabling registration. Through the electronic portfolio (Pebblepad), signed by their practice supervisor and practice assessor, and moderated by the academic assessor, Learning disability nursing students will demonstrate achievement of the skills and professional behaviours identified by the Nursing and midwifery council. During clinical learning all students will be required to undertake clinical skills via a range of simulation techniques to meet the Achievement of Proficiency in the PAD. These will be signed off by the Module Team/Practice Assessor.
    • Transforming and Innovating Learning Disability Nursing (20 Credits)
      Module code: NPR4007

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to continue the development of Learning Disability students professional development, theoretical evidenced based knowledge and skills to enable them to lead and mange person centred decision making, respectfully influencing positive lifestyle choices to improve health outcomes and exert influence on the appropriateness and quality of care to effect service improvement

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• Placements

  You will be expected to study a minimum of 2,300 hours theory and 2,300 hours practice across the 3 years. The practical placements that you will take throughout this Learning Disability Nursing course will be in a variety of health, education and social care settings.

  The practical experiences in healthcare are gained within private, voluntary and independent sector areas including social care, community trusts and hospitals within Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and surrounding areas.

  The learning disability nursing course is compliant with Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements.

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• Opportunities Abroad*

  The University of Northampton is one of only four universities in the country to belong to the European Nursing Module. This offers the possibility of a two week placement in one of around 24 different European countries.

  You can experience a different health system, culture and life experience and gain an insight into the issues that are faced in an overseas nursing environment. This opportunity is available at a specifically negotiated time during your Learning Disability Nursing course, usually within the second or third stage of study.

  Please note that you will have to meet the entire costs of this module yourself including flights, accommodation, food and travel within these countries where possible costs are kept to a minimum and financial help is available. The cost of the placement is dependent on the country you choose, it can range from approximately £500-800.

  The two weeks spent overseas for this module count as placement hours as agreed with the NMC.

  The University of Northampton is one of only three universities that offer this module as well as the 11 week Erasmus placement.

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• Student Perks

  At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.

  If you join our full-time Learning Disability Nursing degree at Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.

  Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your learning disability nursing course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

  To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.

  * UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details)

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• FAQs

  How will I develop my skills in nursing labs?

  The nursing skills labs, based at our Waterside campus, are used throughout the studies to enhance learning in the clinical settings. The Nursing labs have a purpose-built clinical ward where students can learn and develop their clinical skills through practice-based, hands-on education. This specialist facility makes the Learning Disability Nurse courses at UON absolutely unique. You will practise scenarios from a real-life hospital ward in a realistic, yet safe clinical environment.

  The fully interactive VR (Virtual Reality) system and mannequins allow students to ‘treat’ people in a variety of nursing settings, giving them ‘as close to real-life as possible’ training. This includes actual conversations with the characters in the scenario and gives clinical feedback that is matched to the student’s learning objectives.

  How will I be assessed on the Learning Disability Nursing degree?

  We use a variety of methods of assessment on our Learning Disability Nursing course, including:

  • an electronic nursing practice portfolio for each year
  • online examination for numeracy in years one and three (to comply with Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements)
  • anatomy and physiology examination
  • nursing care plan
  • essays
  • presentation,
  • viva voce exam
  • reflective essay.

  All assessments are marked in accordance with University regulations. All external examiners are registered nurses who also hold teaching qualifications approved by the NMC.

  What other opportunities are there?

  Our University is now a part of a well-established, professional European network for Nursing and Midwifery. The Florence Network offers opportunities for future health careers and development to staff, academics and students. For more information about how this affects learning disability nursing, visit the Florence Network.

  What is the new curriculum for Learning Disability Nursing?

  From September 2019 we are offering an exciting new curriculum based on The Nursing and Midwifery standards for education 2018. The curriculum is innovative utilising an active blend learning approach and an extensive range of support is always available. The curriculum also offers placement learning opportunities throughout Northamptonshire and beyond.

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