BSc(Hons) Nursing (Learning Disabilities)

Our employer links, practical focus and the clinical experience offered means that you'll develop the confidence and critical skills you need to propel your learning disabilities nursing career.

Why study learning disabilities nursing?

Nursing is a challenging but rewarding career that'll change lives, including your own. As a learning disability nurse, you'll play an important role in identifying and meeting people's health and wellbeing needs, and improving healthcare, social inclusion and quality of life.

Learning disabilities nurses support children, adults and their families, in a creative, flexible manner, in their own homes, communities and specialist services.

A £5,000 per year training grant is available for home students along with an additional £1,000 per year grant because learning disabilities nurses are in demand in the UK and worldwide. Further information is available on the NHS Business Services website.

Why UWE Bristol?

You'll learn from a passionate, enthusiastic, skilled and supportive team with a range of experience across the many differerent aspects of learning disability nursing, and other nursing fields.

As many of our staff are active researchers, your learning will be enriched by the very latest in best practice and clinical understanding.

The course is 50% theory and 50% practice. You will learn and develop your skills, knowledge and understanding both at UWE Bristol and in the workplace, and develop strong therapeutic relationships with service users, families and our established partners.

Your practice learning will be complemented by our outstanding facilities, including our Skills Simulation Centre, where you will develop your clinical expertise in a safe, instructive environment.

Based at Glenside Campus, you'll learn alongside students from other health and social care courses, such as occupational therapists, mental health nurses and midwives, and develop strong interpersonal and communication skills.

The course offers opportunities for diverse placements aboard and throughout the UK, to enrich your experience even further. As a nursing student at UWE Bristol, you'll have the exciting opportunity to apply for an international experience with a variety of options. In some instances the application process will be competitive. International experiences can be as short as one week or as long as five weeks. You'll need to self-finance these experiences, but Home students will be able to apply for means-tested bursary funds for support during that time. Having an international experience provides opportunities to be internationally mobile and entrepreneurial, and to make a difference to our local community.

Where can it take me?

Learning disabilities nurses are in demand across the UK - in the NHS, private and voluntary sector.

Careers / Further study

Learning Disability nurses are in demand across the UK. All our graduates gain employment and enter careers in a variety of roles for the NHS, private and voluntary sector employers, in community and hospital settings.

Due to the needs of our service users, graduates often branch out into other specialisms, such as acquired brain injury, dementia and mental health care, adult or children's services, and specialist teams. With so many new doors opening, this is an exciting time for the learning disability nurse.

Once qualified you can also combine clinical work with study on a post-qualifying course. By specialising further in a specific area, you can progress to more senior positions such as consultant nurse, nurse specialist, researcher, or local or regional services manager.

Find out more about careers in learning disability nursing.

Take the NHS Nursing careers quiz.

Get inspired

Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.

We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.

Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.