Learning Disability Nursing BSc (Hons) at University of Northampton

Our BSc (Hons) Learning Disability Nursing course will develop your understanding of the needs of people with learning disabilities to enable you to work in a range of practice settings in health and social care.

This will be achieved through the combination of innovative theory and practical experiences which will be delivered using online learning units, alongside traditionally taught sessions and an electronic portfolio for practice development. With our practice partners, we offer support throughout your placements through the experienced support of mentors and an academic link tutor.

We will support you to achieve your career and study ambitions, which is why if you complete our Employability Plus Gold programme or Changemaker Gold certificate alongside your studies and if you haven’t secured full-time employment 12 months after graduating* we will secure a three – six month paid internship for you, or support you into postgraduate study.

*with a 2:2 degree classification or higher

Course Details

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 field equips you with nursing skills to work within health and social care environments with people with learning disabilities. Studying this course will also 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 course will be in a variety of health, education and social care settings with people of all ages that have a range of learning disabilities.

The course team is listed in the course handbook. All of our teaching staff are professionally and academically qualified within their field.

You will be allocated a Personal Academic Tutor 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.

Further information can be accessed through the Learning Disability Nursing Handbook.

Read what the Nursing Times have to say about our Learning Disability Nursing course.

Opportunities Abroad – European Nursing Module

We are one of only four universities in the country that can offer a two week placement in one of around 18 different European cities.

Through this module you will 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 course, usually within the second or third stage of study.

You do have to meet the costs for this module yourself, though these are kept to the minimum possible and places are limited.

The two weeks spent overseas for this module count as placement hours as agreed with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

For further information about the European Nursing Module, please contact fiona.barchard@northampton.ac.uk.

Partnerships and Accreditation

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 go to the Florence Network google site.

This Learning Disability Nursing course gives you a registration through the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a nurse for people with learning disabilities.

Methods of Learning

This course is compliant with Nursing and Midwifery Council requirements.

Typically a September cohort will study:

• Year One: 915 theory hours and 660 practice hours
• Year Two: 863 theory hours and 825 practice hours
• Year Three: 750 Theory hours and 938 practice hours

From September 2018 we will be offering a new curriculum based on the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) proposed standards for education 2017. This curriculum will offer placement learning opportunities throughout Northamptonshire and beyond. Taught elements will include:

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

Assessments

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.

Scholarships

EU and International Scholarships

We’re committed to offering the opportunity to study in the UK to the best and brightest students from around the world.

Sir Thomas White Scholarship

The Sir Thomas White scholarship will support and acknowledge an academically gifted student, with the proviso that the selection panel is confident that there is…

TD Lewis Scholarship

The T D Lewis Scholarship provides both undergraduate and postgraduate students with financial awards of up to £1,000.  This scholarship is awarded on educational excellence…

The Chancellor's Fund

The Chancellor’s Fund is a bi-annual fund providing students with awards of between £100 and £1,000. You must be a current student to apply.  The…

Wilson Endowment Scholarship

The Wilson Endowment Scholarship provides a £1,500 scholarship to undergraduate students from the Northamptonshire area. The endowed scholarship was donated in memory of Mr Lynn Wilson,…