Learning Disabilities Nursing (pre-registration) MSc

Course overview

Learning disabilities (LD) nurses provide specialist healthcare and support to people with learning disabilities and additional health needs. Learning disabilities nurses work with individuals across the lifespan, collaborating with their families and carers to reduce health inequalities and promote health.

• Gain the knowledge, skills, and behaviours to meet the diverse health and care needs of people with learning disabilities across the lifespan. Course content prepares you to analyse, develop and deliver effective care to people with learning disabilities and to promote independence.
• There is a focus on providing person-centred care and ensuring the health needs of people with learning disabilities are met, emphasising evidence-informed practice, care and compassion.
• During the course you should develop the clinical and personal skills required to provide autonomous, compassionate and person-centred care. You will have the opportunity to work in multi-disciplinary teams, coordinating care and providing safe evidence-based care.
• Through recognition of your previous care experience and completion of four practice placements organised by Coventry University during your course, you will achieve 50% practical placement training needed for registration as a learning disabilities nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The clinical practice experience exposes you to caring for the needs of people with learning disabilities across a range of health services.^2,5
• Study one module at a time, with five weeks of learning followed by one week of assessment per module.

Why you should study this course

• The course aims to develop high standards of person-centred care, complex care coordination, decision-making, leadership, and mentoring. It prepares you to be an accountable professional, excel in multidisciplinary teams, and demonstrate leadership through relationship management and emotional intelligence.
• The course is ideal for graduates of health-related disciplines, psychology, criminology or sociology degrees with some experience in health and social care. It is also suitable for existing nurses looking for dual qualification.
• Theoretical course aspects will be further developed through simulation and clinical placements relevant to the learning disabilities nursing field.^2,5
• This course should develop your digital fluency, curiosity, critical and reflective thinking.
• All eligible students on this course can apply for a minimum training grant payment from the government of £5,000 per year, with additional payments for students incurring childcare costs.⁶

Studying in the School of Health and Care

Gain the skills and experience to transform lives, communities and the future of healthcare delivery. We aim to empower you to become a stand-out healthcare professional, capable, competent and confident in your field and role within the wider healthcare team. While continuously developing your sense of professional identity as a nurse from day one, you'll also collaborate with learners from other School of Health and Care fields, learning in an environment that puts inclusivity, diversity and dignity at its heart.

Careers and opportunities

This course aims to deliver accountable professionals who can thrive in dynamic multidisciplinary teams and demonstrate leadership, influence and supervision.

This course aims to enhance your academic development, deepening theoretical understanding and practical skills while preparing you for an accelerated career as a nursing leader, clinical expert, educator or researcher within the profession.

Successful completion of this course is a strong indication to potential employees that you have both the ability and the academic characteristics, required for working in a variety of clinical settings.

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• apply for registration as a Learning Disabilities Nurse through the consistent demonstration of the knowledge, skills, level of proficiency and behaviours required to meet the professional standards set out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
• act as an autonomous and accountable Learning Disabilities Nurse who can apply relevant legal and ethical frameworks and requirements towards ensuring safe and effective care delivery within the scope of their professional practice.
• critically evaluate evidence from diverse sources to inform, rationalise and improve nursing care delivery whilst developing skills to support continued professional validation and life-long learning.
• apply evidenced-based approaches towards sustaining and enhancing the wellbeing of individuals, communities, and populations. Utilise effective communication strategies that enable informed choices to protect and promote health.
• demonstrate the qualities of an influential leader who can pro-actively develop professional relationships, supervise, and work collaboratively with others, towards improving care outcomes.
• lead in the coordination of care across a range of unpredictable and complex environments. To ensure patient safety and high-quality care, graduates must collaborate closely with individuals, their support networks, other health and care professionals, and utilise digital technologies.
• assess, plan, deliver and evaluate culturally competent care that is respectful, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and adaptive towards incorporating people’s health care choices.