Learning Disabilities Nursing MSc
Why choose this course?
If you're looking to make a positive difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities, and already have an undergraduate degree and experience in health and social care, this masters course is for you. You'll become a registered learning disabilities nurse in two years.
This course prepares you for a career in person-centred professional practice across a variety of health and social care settings. You will learn how to enable design and evaluation of care for people with learning disabilities and their families. You will be challenged to develop skills in gathering, analysing and synthesising evidence to ensure health inequalities and social isolation are confronted and resolved.
You'll study the factors that affect people's health and wellbeing, the health inequalities in our society and how we can improve health outcomes for people with a learning disability and autistic spectrum conditions (ASC).
You'll explore the management of complex conditions across the lifespan, from children to the older person and those with dementia, or other mental or physical health needs.
Through simulations, and on placement, you'll work collaboratively with service users. Placement providers include South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust, Surrey and Borders Partnership Trust, Great Ormond Street, The Children's Trust, and The Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability.
This course is designed for a small cohort of students, where you'll benefit from individual learning and support. You will be taught by our dynamic teaching team which includes leading researchers and experts in learning disability nursing from practice and the Department of Health. Our students are highly sought after and receive multiple job offers before their course is complete.
NHS Training Grant
Nursing students on pre-registration courses from September 2020 will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year which they will not need to pay back, subject to eligibility criteria. For more information please visit the NHS Business Service Authority.
| UCAS code | Mode | Duration | Attendance | Start date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B764 | Full time | 2 years | Classroom based and clinical placements | September 2023 |
For 2023 entry please ensure your application is submitted before the UCAS January deadline 2023 as this course may not be in a position to consider applications submitted after this date.
| Location | Kingston Hill |
Reasons to choose Kingston University
- Kingston is No.1 in London and No.6 in the UK for nursing and midwifery (Guardian University League table 2022).
- Our expert academics are involved in research and shaping the future of learning disabilities nursing nationally and our nursing students have been finalists in the Student Nursing Times Awards from 2012 to 2022, with Jessica Ball winning Student Nurse of the Year: Learning Disabilities in 2022.
- You will work directly with individuals with learning disabilities, their family/carers, as well as actors with learning disabilities from the Baked Bean Theatre Company, in our simulation suite.
What you will study
This course will share learning with adult, child and mental health nursing students, where you can develop your skills in supporting people with a learning disability across the lifespan.
Topics covered include factors affecting the health and wellbeing of individuals in our changing and diverse society, addressing health inequalities and promoting improved health outcomes for people with a learning disability.
Year 1 modules (parts one and two)
Year 2 modules (part three)
Year 1 introduces the foundations of nursing and healthcare. You will study the role of the learning disability nurse and the diverse needs and contexts of people with learning disabilities. At the end of Year 1, you will be offered an opportunity to undertake a national or international placement.
Core modules
Foundations of life sciences for graduates
15 credits
This module is a core requirement for all students on the MSc Nursing course. It explores the foundations of human anatomy and physiology, including the body's systems, mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis, genomics and human development across the lifespan. Selected pathophysiology will be introduced in relation to commonly encountered health conditions and students will also begin to develop their knowledge of pharmacological concepts relating to nursing. This will provide students with key underpinning knowledge which will facilitate the exploration of person-centred assessment and care later in the programme.
Establishing the fundamentals of nursing care
30 credits
This module is a core requirement for all students on the MSc Nursing course. It introduces students to the fundamental principles of nursing and person-centred care, the determinants of health and well-being, compassionate communication and contemporary health policy. It enables the student to develop critical knowledge, skills and professional attitudes for the delivery of safe and effective person-centred care of individuals and their families or carers across a variety of settings. Students will begin to establish a sense of their nursing field identity but also that of other fields in order to promote effective interdisciplinary and integrated care.
Assessment and care planning in learning disability nursing
30 credits
This module focuses on assessment and care planning as part of the nursing process. Students will examine critically 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 critically within a framework of work place culture, utilising evidence based models.
Collaborative working for health and well-being in learning disability nursing
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. Interdisciplinary working and current frameworks will be explored for delivering person-centred care. A range of evaluative techniques to measure clinical outcomes will be examined.
Introduction to professional practice
15 credits
This module will prepare the student for their role in practice. The focus is to introduce a range of nursing procedures to enable students to provide skilled, evidence-based, person-centred care to people at any stage of life who may have a range of physical, mental, cognitive or behavioural health conditions. It is a generic module where all fields of nursing are engaged with core nursing procedures as identified by the NMC Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses (NMC, 2018).
Developing professional practice
30 credits
This module will develop the skills taught and practised in the introduction to professional practice in Year 1. 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.
In Year 2 you will explore the management of complex conditions across the lifespan (e.g. children, transition, adulthood and the older person) and the analysis and application of research and evidence base. You will also be prepared for your transition to registered nurse.
Core modules
Safe and effective quality care in learning disability nursing
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 interdisciplinary working, whilst collectively developing effective improvement strategies. Some sessions will be shared across fields as they are core for all fields.
Coordinating the care of people with learning disabilities with complex health care needs
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
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 practised in Year 1 in order to prepare students for their transition to working as a 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.
Entry requirements
Teaching and assessment
We offer a range of innovative and flexible approaches to teaching and learning which includes:
- classroom-based learning
- simulated practical exercises
- case based learning
- clinical placements
- self-directed learning
- individual and group working
- research
- online resources.
You will also benefit from the support of a personal tutor, peer group learning and a range of web-based learning materials and online discussion forums.
Who teaches this course?
Our academic team of highly skilled nurses, lecturers and researchers are known for innovation in teaching and learning. Our award-winning simulation suites provide you with unrivalled opportunities to develop your skills in caring for patients and service users through highly realistic simulations and role play. You will also have opportunities to learn with and from other health and social care students.
Course fees and funding
Additional costs
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.
Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.
Facilities
Kingston University's Kingston Hill campus offers you modern facilities and include well-equipped laboratories where you can practise within a safe environment.
Our nursing students are taught by the Simulated Learning and Clinical Skills team within clinical, community and practice health settings.
Our Nursing Simulated Learning and Clinical Skills Centre facilities include a simulated ward area with a medication room, clinical classrooms, one of which has an immersion suite for fully immersive simulated learning scenarios in different settings. The areas are set up with an audio-visual system so skills and simulations can be recorded for group debrief and self-assessment.
Within our facilities, students take part in award-winning innovative simulations with role players and full body manikins that provide unprecedented opportunities to acquire, develop and maintain the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours needed for safe and effective patient care.
After you graduate
Once qualified, you will have a range of employment opportunities in leading NHS and independent organisations. Graduates have gained employment in areas such as:
- Acute or primary care liaison nurses
- Community learning disability nurses
- Specialist nursing (e.g. Epilepsy, behaviours that challenge)
- Nurse therapists
- Senior managers and leaders of the profession
- Nurse consultants (learning disability).
Accreditation
This degree confers both an academic award and a professional qualification in nursing. On successful completion of the programme, you will be recommended to the Nursing and Midwifery Council for professional registration.
Links with the health sector
We have a range of practice partners for learning disability nursing from the NHS, private, independent and voluntary sector including:
- The Children's Trust
- Great Ormond Street
- London Boroughs of Croydon, Haringey, Hounslow, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth
- Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability
- South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust
- Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Your Healthcare
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
