Nursing - Learning Disability - BSc (Hons)

This degree is designed to prepare you to become a compassionate and skilled nurse specialising in learning disability care. It’s ideal for anyone who wants to make a real difference in people’s lives, supporting individuals with learning disabilities to live independently and safely, while combining hands-on practice with academic learning.

Curriculum structure:
Year 1:
In your first year, you’ll get a solid grounding in nursing practice through modules like “What is Nursing?”, “Assessing Needs and Planning Care”, and “Providing and Evaluating Care”. Alongside Professional Practice 1, you’ll start your first clinical placements, gaining hands-on experience while learning the basics of safe and compassionate care.

Year 2:
The second year builds on your foundation with modules such as “Complex Care 1: Assessing and Planning”, “Complex Care 2: Providing and Evaluating Care”, “Improving Quality & Safety in a Global Context”, and “Leadership & Co-ordinating Care”. Through longer clinical placements and more complex care scenarios, you’ll develop leadership skills and learn how to manage and evaluate care for people with learning disabilities.

Year 3:
Your final year focuses on advanced learning disability nursing, with modules like “Nursing Care: Learning Disabilities”, “Medicines Management and Applied Physiology in Learning Disabilities Nursing”, “Leadership and Decision Making in Learning Disabilities Nursing”, and “Delivering High Quality, Safe Nursing Care for People with Learning Disabilities”, alongside Professional Practice 3. By the end of this year, you’ll be ready to practise as a qualified nurse, leading care, making clinical decisions, and supporting people with learning disabilities confidently.

Focus areas:
“learning disability nursing practice, assessing & planning care, medicines management & applied physiology for people with learning disabilities, leadership & decision-making in learning disability settings, safe high-quality nursing care across lifespan and environments”

Learning outcomes:
“You will graduate able to practise as a Registered Nurse specialising in learning disabilities delivering safe, evidence-based and compassionate care; assess and plan care for people with learning disabilities; manage medicines and physiological differences; communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals, families and health-care teams; lead and evaluate care provision; and engage in lifelong professional development.”

Professional alignment (accreditation):
Approved by the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), meeting national standards for pre-registration nursing programmes in the learning disability field.

Reputation (employability rankings):
BCU offers £41 million worth of nursing and midwifery facilities at City South campus, including simulation suites that replicate hospital wards and home environments, ensuring graduates are highly employable.