Learning Disability Nursing BN Hons | University of Chester

Become a registered nurse within a changing health and social care arena by understanding the holistic care needs of those with a learning disability.

A key role of the learning disability nurse is to work in partnership with people with learning disabilities of all ages to maintain their holistic health and wellbeing and to live their lives as fully and independently as possible. Learning disability nurses help and support individuals and their families across the age continuum, from birth until death, in a wide variety of settings, promoting person-centred care and empowering people to make choices, take risks, realise their aspirations and fulfil their potential. In addition, as a nurse for the future, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) expect you to provide care for people from all fields of nursing, so we will also enhance your knowledge and skills in relation to caring for adults (including older people), those with mental health conditions and children.

This is a dynamic, interactive professional course which places the needs of patients and their families, and Learning Disability Nursing practice at its centre. The Programme Team are committed to supporting students to realise their potential to become compassionate, competent and autonomous Learning Disability Nurse, who is able to meet current and future healthcare demands.

The NHS Learning Support Fund provides additional funding for eligible healthcare students studying nursing. Further details can be found on the NHS Learning Support Fund page on our website.

Nursing and midwifery courses require clinical placements and strict safeguarding, so students must be at least 18 at the course start to meet professional standards and fully take part in all required activities.

Accreditations

Winner at the Student Nursing Times Award 2023

Why You'll Love It

Excellent links with practice learning providers

Delivered by experienced Learning Disability Nurses

woman in uniform talking to other people in classroom

Learn in state-of-the-art skills labs.

Nursing at the University of Chester

What You'll Study

The Professional Studies Foundation Year route is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills you will need to be successful at university and whilst on a professional and vocational course.

You will study a range of topics relating to your profession and the environment in which you will eventually work. Areas of focus include person-centred care, mental health, children’s development, communication in a professional setting, social inequality, and how to apply psychology in the real world.

Teaching and learning is tailored and designed with specific modules that relate to the profession you are preparing to join. You will also be introduced to the professional codes and standards that you must uphold such as, the Nursing and Midwifery Code, Social Work England, College of Policing, and national Safeguarding guidance.

Term 1: Exploring Professional Practice
Term 2: The Human Body, Health and Disease
Term 3: Psychology, Wellbeing and Society

Modules

This module is designed to enable you to explore your future career and provide an environment where you can begin to focus on the professional values, skills and knowledge needed to succeed in your field.

We will explore the history of your chosen profession, the changing nature of the role, and the social and political context surrounding this. You will have the opportunity to consider the professional codes, values and expectations that relate to your career as well as the various roles you can undertake within your field.

You will also reflect on your own skill set and consider your personal and professional development needs.

Indicative content:

How to be a professional practice student: representing your profession
Investigate the historic and socio-political context of your chosen profession (Nursing, Midwifery, Education or Social Work)
The importance of professional values and codes of practice/conduct
The nature and scope of inter-professional working
Core roles and responsibilities within your career and inter-professional working
Theories of professional practice
Equal opportunities, inclusion, diversity and professional practice
Interpersonal communication skills; development of self-awareness and of own communication skills.
Using models of reflection.
Safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults
Personal and professional development knowledge and skills
Your profession and the public
Learning to use and navigate a range of digital spaces specific to your subject
Understanding academic conduct and conventions for communicating information

The module will explore how perceptions, personal circumstances and technology can shape our health. You will investigate areas such as technology, health promotion and inequality and how these can impact individual health experiences and outcomes, as well as considering models of health that inform belief systems.

You will also examine the role of biological concepts in the way our bodies’ function. The relationship between diseases and physiological processes within the context of organ systems will be examined.

Indicative content:

Defining health in relation to the individual, society and social change
The importance of the biomedical, social and biopsychosocial models of health
Investigate factors that influence health outcomes
The role and importance of health promotion in society
Individual health behaviour theories and applications
The future of health and healthcare
The structure of a generalised human cell and organelles
Cellular transport processes including diffusion and osmosis
Specialised cells and tissues in the human body
The role of hormones and enzymes
Human body systems
Homeostasis
The role of genetics in human health and disease
Micro-organisms as a cause of infectious disease
The biological basis of routine investigations
Advancing digital and academic skills introduced during Term 1
Developing research and information literacy in relation to your subject
Creating an academic poster on a chosen research paper

This module will explore how psychology and related disciplines can be applied to real world contexts. We will explore the history of psychology and related disciplines. You will explore key perspectives that include; social psychology, biological psychology, humanism and developmental psychology.

You will also investigate the following; mental health, bereavement support, and improving patient outcomes with Psychology. You will consider how this knowledge can support and inform your professional practice. You will also examine notions of wellbeing , stress and resilience to prepare you for professional practice.

Indicative content:

The role of social structures and socialisation in society
The role and historical context of Psychology and related disciplines
The social Psychology of human interaction and behaviour
Development psychology from childhood and through the lifespan
Brain structure and functions
Neurodiversity and brain differences - what makes us unique.
An introduction to mental health
Humanism and its importance in professional practice
Cognitive Psychology and its importance in professional practice
Stress, resilience and stress management
What is wellbeing and how this can be applied to professional practice
Supporting patient outcomes with Psychology
Leadership and motivation in nursing practice

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

Modules

This module will engage you in a diverse range of practice learning opportunities across a range of settings, enabling you to develop an understanding of professional practice.

You will be supported to reflect on your own knowledge, values and skills to prepare you to deliver care.

Positive engagement with own learning

Enable you to contextualise your learning to inform the delivery of evidence-based care

This module will introduce you to the foundational principles of nursing practice, exploring how biological, psychological, and sociological factors interact to influence health and well-being. You will develop your knowledge of the scientific basis of care, learn to perform essential nursing skills safely under supervision, and apply effective communication strategies. Emphasis is also placed on collaborative working, enabling you to engage respectfully and effectively with your peers in a team-based learning environment.

This module is designed to support your transition into university life as you embark on your journey into the nursing profession. It provides an introduction to the varied and evolving roles of nurses, alongside an overview of the structure and function of the UK health and social care system. A key focus will be placed on the importance of evidence-based practice in delivering high-quality patient care. You will also explore the fundamental values that underpin professional nursing practice and begin developing the essential academic and study skills needed for success in your nursing education.

This module will provide you with a foundational understanding learning disability nursing, enabling you to explore the historical development of leaning disability services, contemporary approaches to learning disability care, and the essential communication and relationship-building skills required for effective practice.

Modules

In this module you will develop your personal and professional knowledge and skills within contemporary nursing practice, to deliver proficient holistic person-centred care.

You will be given practice learning opportunities within a range of placement settings that may include simulated practice environments, acute, community and primary care settings and in private, voluntary and independent organisations that provide care for people within your field of nursing.

You will be exposed to a range of learning opportunities to achieve the relevant proficiencies for your field of nursing with an emphasis on you becoming more independent in your nursing practice.

In this module you will develop your personal and professional knowledge and skills within contemporary nursing practice, to deliver proficient holistic person-centred care. You will be given practice learning opportunities within a range of placement settings that may include simulated practice environments, acute, community and primary care settings and in private, voluntary and independent organisations that provide care for people within your field of nursing.

You will also develop essential numeracy skills critical to nursing practice, such as accurate dosage calculations and vital sign interpretation ensuring safe and effective patient care.

You will be exposed to a range of learning opportunities to achieve the relevant proficiencies for your field of nursing with an emphasis on you becoming more independent in your nursing practice.

This module will develop your critical understanding of the physiological and professional foundations of adult nursing practice. Emphasis is placed on applying evidence-based interventions, working collaboratively across disciplines, and promoting safe, person-centred care. You will also explore the role of digital health and consider the ethical, legal, and practical challenges of delivering care in diverse and evolving healthcare settings.

This module helps you to develop the skills to understand, evaluate, and apply evidence in nursing practice. You will explore how healthcare policy is shaped by evidence and how it influences the way care is delivered. You will learn how to find and assess research and data from different sources, and use this knowledge to support clinical decision-making and perform nursing skills safely and effectively. By the end of the module, you’ll be able to critically reflect on the quality of evidence and understand how it underpins the care you provide.

This module offers an engaging introduction to public health, highlighting its vital role in every aspect of nursing care. We will explore how our daily lives, communities, and environments shape health, going beyond individual conditions to understand the bigger picture of well-being. Students will be introduced to epidemiology and consider how we can work together to prevent ill health, promote healthier lifestyles and protect the public from harm. Crucially, this module challenges the idea that public health is a job for specialists, demonstrating how every nurse, whether adult, children, mental health or learning disability field has a powerful role in championing health and preventing ill health in their practice.

Modules

This module will prepare you to become a confident, ethical, and future-focused nurse leader. You will gain an understanding of the nurses role as a leader and driver of meaningful change, learn how to lead with courage and compassion, and champion safe, ethical practice in complex environments. Through interactive experiences you will build critical skills in leadership, communication, and ethical decision-making while learning to navigate the real pressures of clinical governance, team dynamics, delegation and professional accountability.

This module explores the complexities of adult nursing care, particularly in the context of coexisting health conditions and the associated biopsychosocial impact. It aims to develop your ability to critically analyse complex clinical scenarios, apply evidence-based interventions, and uphold legal and ethical standards in practice. Emphasis is placed on collaborative risk management, and person-centred care.

This module equips final-year nursing students with the skills to manage referrals and support safe, person-centred transitions across different care fields. It explores the challenges of multidisciplinary team working, care pathways, and gaps in services, while fostering cross-field awareness and understanding of professional roles.

Through critical reflection, students will gain the knowledge and confidence to advocate for patients and contribute to safe, seamless care transitions across service boundaries.

This module is designed to prepare you to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours required to coordinate holistic, person-centred care across different healthcare settings and specialisms. Through a series of diverse practice learning placements, you will gain practical experience managing complex care in your field of Nursing. The module also focuses on preparing you for a safe and confident transition into the registered nurse role by fostering your leadership, accountability, and reflective practice in line with professional standards. By the end of the module, you will be equipped to deliver coordinated, effective nursing care in collaboration with the wider multidisciplinary team. 

How You'll Learn

How we teach at the University of Chester

You will develop your knowledge and skills of nursing care through lectures, seminars, tutorials, e-learning, practice-based workshops, practice clinical skills within our state-of-the-art simulation suites along with self and guided independent study.

You will be assessed through a variety of methods including written essays, a written exam, oral assessment such as presentations and practical assessment within clinical practice placements.

If studied, the Foundation Year, as with the following years of study, will be taught in three 10-week blocks across an academic year. Each block will comprise 40 credits of learning that include a breadth of topics and practice skills. You will have on average 12-14 hours of contact time per week during the Foundation Year. There may be variations to this where subject practical or specialist space teaching is included.

This course comprises 50% teaching within university and 50% within clinical practice placements. You will be allocated a range of practice placements to facilitate a wide experience of healthcare across both hospital and community care settings.

Your Future Career

Job Prospects

Successful graduates are registered with Nursing and Midwifery Council as Learning Disability Nurse.

Once registered, graduates have an opportunity to work in both the private and public sector including hospital or community-based roles along with research and teaching.

In addition to working within the UK, registered graduates can explore working abroad.

Careers Service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.