Year 1
You will develop your skills in caring for people with a learning disability, learning alongside students of adult, child and mental health nursing.
Core modules
Introduction to Life Sciences
30 credits
This module is designed to help students develop their knowledge and understanding of human anatomy and physiology in relation to nursing, which is an essential element of nursing proficiency.
Pathophysiology will be explored in relation to common conditions and students will also begin to develop their knowledge of pharmacological concepts in preparation for therapeutic interventions explored in year 2.
The main features of the module are to enable students to apply scientific principles to nursing care. It will also support students to identify and understand current nursing practices underpinned by scientific theory.
Introduction to Learning Disability Nursing NL4104
30 credits
This module introduces students to the context of learning disability nursing practice across a range of care settings. Students will be introduced to The Code (NMC, 2018) to gain knowledge and understanding of its importance in guiding the learning disability nurse to deliver safe, effective and compassionate care in partnership with families, carers and other healthcare professionals. The students will explore the skills and knowledge needed to safeguard vulnerable people, optimise the quality of care and enhance the experience of people accessing healthcare.
Introduction to Public Health and Health Promotion
30 credits
This module is a core requirement for all students across all fields of the BSc Nursing programme. As an introductory module it will enable students to develop knowledge and understanding of the principles of public health and health promotion. Students will explore the global, social-political-economic and psycho-social forces on the population's health and well-being. In addition the student will explore the evolution of public health, the determinants of health and health inequalities.
Introduction to Professional Practice
30 credits
This module will prepare students for placements and their learning in practice and the assessment process during year one of the programme. It will introduce a range of nursing procedures to enable students to provide skilled, evidence based, person centred compassionate care to people at any stage of life who may have a range of physical, mental, cognitive or behavioural health conditions.
Year 2
In Year 2, you can develop your community nursing skills on our Alternative Practice Programme. Working in teams, you will explore topics such as mental health and wellbeing and nutrition and sustainability, and prepare a presentation.
Core modules
Therapeutic Interventions in Nursing: Bio-Psycho-Social Approaches
30 credits
This module explores a range of therapeutic approaches in nursing. The module examines evidence-based treatment methods, current practice and nursing interventions. Students will learn about pharmacology and bio-psycho-social and alternative treatments. Field specific seminars will enable further application of module content to the students' field.
The focus of this module is to enable students to apply evidence-based principles to administering and applying therapeutic care and develop an understanding and awareness of safe and effective treatment approaches. Students will learn about partnership working with healthcare professionals, patients, service users and carers for administering treatment, as well as enabling students to identify contemporary nursing practices underpinned by therapeutic procedures.
Assessment and care process in learning disability nursing NL5107
30 credits
This module focuses on assessment and care planning as part of the nursing process. Students will explore health inequalities and the impact on people with a learning disability across the lifespan. Students will apply person centred inclusive approaches to assess and plan care with people with learning disabilities, and their families and care workers, within legal and ethical frameworks. The skills and knowledge for assessment and planning will be explored within a framework of work place culture, utilising evidence based models.
Collaborative Working for health and Wellbeing in Learning Disability Nursing NL5108
30 credits
This module explores the knowledge and skills necessary to implement effective holistic and collaborative care for people with a learning disability. The student will learn the importance of reasonable adjustments and health improvement strategies at individual and local levels to enable delivery of safe person-centred care. Students will develop the knowledge and skills to support people with a learning disability in making choices about their health and care and to facilitate equal access. Multi-disciplinary working and current frameworks will be explored for delivering person-centred care. A range of evaluative techniques to measure clinical outcomes will be examined.
Developing Professional Practice
30 credits
This module will further develop the skills taught and practised in the introduction to professional practice in year one. Students will be able to assess, plan and rationalise the nursing care they provide for people in health and social care and community settings. The emphasis will be on holistic person-centred care covering physical, psychological, social and cultural care. It will look at evidence based person centred care being delivered inter- and intra-disciplinary.
You will be prepared for the transition to professional practice and employability. You will develop skills in management, leadership, team working and teaching and supporting learners. You will learn how to critically appraise evidence to support future practice and explore complexities of nursing and service provision across health and social care organisations.
Year 3
In Year 3 you will explore the management of complex conditions across the lifespan (e.g. children, transition, adulthood, the older person and those with dementia or other mental or physical health needs).
Core modules
Safe and Effective Quality Care in Learning Disability Nursing NL6110
30 credits
This module will provide the learning disability nursing student with the theoretical knowledge and skills required for their future role as a qualified learning disability nurse when contributing to risk monitoring, quality care provision and optimised service improvements. The student will learn to manage and prioritise clinical actions, participate in clinical audit activities for quality and service improvements and learn to avoid compromising quality care using evidence-based knowledge and experience from practice. Regulations essential for maintaining safety at work and in different care environments will be covered. Students will learn about collaborative multi professional working, whilst collectively developing effective improvement strategies. Some sessions will be shared across fields as they are core for all fields.
Co-ordinating the Care of People with Learning Disabilities with Complex Health Care Needs NL6111
30 credits
This module will provide the student with the underpinning knowledge and skills required for their future leadership role in coordinating and managing the complex needs of people with a learning disability across a range of organisations and settings. The module explores the complex role of the learning disability nurse, working as a specialist, to enrich the quality of life of people with learning disabilities. Experts from lived experience will be involved in the learning and teaching, supporting students through a range of complex case studies and current socio economical and workforce challenges. The student will build on their knowledge of partnership and collaborative working and examine the cultural, political, psychosocial and technological influences on nursing care, resource management and finances.
Leadership in Learning Disability Nursing NL6112
30 credits
Navigating the transition from student to a professional practitioner who is skilled at leading teams is critically important to the delivery of safe, effective and high quality health care. This module is designed to prepare the student for professional nursing practice by expanding their knowledge and skills to enable them to be an accountable and compassionate leader within the health and social care system. It focuses on leadership, team working, and performance management and enables learning disability nursing students to reflect on their transition to registered practice and build the evidence base for a career development portfolio. Some sessions will be shared across fields as they are core for all fields.
Advancing Professional Practice
30 credits
This module advances the skills taught and practiced in years one and two in order to prepare students for their transition to registered nurse. The module focuses on the assessment and management of patients with complex health care needs, working in partnership with other health care professionals. Students will integrate their clinical and communication skills with evidence based knowledge to become clinically proficient and confident nurses. It is a generic module where all fields of nursing learn with and from each other.
