MSc Learning Disability Nursing

Learning Disabilities Nursing is a rewarding and varied field of practice working with individuals of all ages in a range of environments. Learning Disability Nurses play a vital role in improving the health, well-being and life expectancy of people with Learning Disabilities. As a profession, it offers the chance to make a real difference to the lives of individuals who have a learning disability and their families.

Studying Learning Disability nursing at UEA prepares you for a career that can be as varied or specialist as you choose. Learning Disability nurses work across the lifespan, in partnership with others, and in a variety of settings to meet a wide range of health and social care needs, including supporting people to stay mentally and physically well.

Our innovative, accelerated course is ideal if you already have a degree and are looking for a fast-track into the nursing profession.

About

Our Master’s programme builds on your prior life experience, graduate attributes and will enable you to qualify as a Learning Disability Nurse in two years.

You’ll explore all aspects of nursing, gaining experience in working with people with a learning disability in a variety of settings, while working alongside other health and social care professionals.

With the NHS Constitution at its core, our MSc Learning Disability Nursing programme supports you to achieve your very best and provides you with the rigorous training you need to become a dynamic and progressive Learning Disability nurse.

Our Master’s course has been designed for students who already have an undergraduate degree and who demonstrate the personal attributes and commitment needed to pursue a career caring for others. Your time with us will help you develop into a nurse who is not only committed but is also able to deliver the highest quality of person-centred care.

Informed by the four pillars of Advanced Practice, you’ll be exposed to theoretical and practice-based learning addressing themes of Clinical Practice, Research, Education and Leadership, ensuring you are equipped to pursue a variety of exciting career opportunities at the point of qualification.

The course includes skills and simulated practice learning, lectures, workshops, independent and self-directed study, and placements in a variety of settings. You’ll develop high standards of person-centred care and enable you to excel in the way you work with people with a learning disability and their families and carers, maximising your contribution to the multidisciplinary team.

You’ll undertake professionally supervised placements in a wide variety of care settings. Placements provide a fantastic opportunity to apply and develop your knowledge and skills, whilst enabling you to appreciate the importance of research, education and leadership in providing quality care.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

Your progress will be assessed using a range of methods. This will allow you to achieve the necessary academic credits needed to be awarded a Master’s degree qualification and ensure you demonstrate achievement of the competencies required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) to be eligible to register as a Learning Disability Nurse.

In your first year you will be assessed in practice and in theory using a range of assessments. For each module, you will have the chance to test your skills with formative (practice) assessments that help you prepare for the summative (formal) assessments. These include applied written assignments, examination, oral presentations, practice-based assessment and use of professional portfolios.

Structure

Our course structure will enable you to study a range of concepts and undertake practice experiences, all highly relevant to Learning Disability nursing. Across the two years, you’ll study six core modules and be exposed to placements reflective of the patient journey across a range of healthcare settings. This means you will spend time learning the theory and then applying it in practice.

In your first year, we lay the foundations of nursing, with an emphasis on developing your knowledge and understanding of fundamental nursing theory and concepts. You will investigate a range of concepts including person-centred care, empowerment, public health and health promotion. Essential nursing skills will be taught through simulation in the University’s skills labs and in practice placements. Emphasis will be on developing core nursing skills, whilst giving you the opportunity to explore the nurses’ role within a multi-professional team.

Teaching and Learning

We take a ‘blended’ approach to teaching and learning to promote engagement and develop your critical thinking.

You will learn from experienced and motivated practitioners and academics through a blend of classroom seminars, directed and independent study, lectures, clinical skills development and practice-based learning. Our approach is designed to help you work in collaboration with others and support lifelong learning.

In year one, we support you to build your research skills, enabling you to question practice and seek out best practice evidence, ultimately improving patient outcomes. We will also develop your education and leadership skills, enabling you to empower patients, deliver the highest quality nursing care.

In practice you will be supported by a practice supervisor, practice assessor and academic assessor to apply the knowledge and skills from the classroom to practice. You will experience a range of placement settings, enabling you to develop competence in a variety of nursing skills and interventions.

We will support and encourage you to think critically about your practice, so that you become a confident, reflective independent learner. We provide self-directed study time, during which you will be able to engage with our Virtual Learning Environment and prioritise your learning. You will also be able to use this time to develop your skills of critical enquiry, so that you are able to explore specific areas in greater depth.

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Assessment for Year 2

In your second year you will build upon your learning in year one. You will continue to be assessed in theory and in practice, your theoretical assessment will build to a synoptic assessment that incorporates your dissertation.

You will continue to receive feedback on your formative (practice) assignments from your lecturers. The purpose of the feedback is to help you improve your work before your final summative (formal) assignment and we encourage you to discuss your feedback with your lecturers and practice assessors.

Structure

The second year focuses on enhancing your practical knowledge and your ability to translate theory into your nursing practice. You will be able to spend more time in practice and specialise during placements by spending time with other members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team.

You’ll build on your knowledge and skills, demonstrating your ability to effectively deliver nursing care and communicate with people with complex needs. Using a range of educational and leadership skills, you will assess and manage the needs of people with a learning disability and their families while protecting their rights to privacy, dignity, respect and autonomy.

You will complete a project that draws together the four pillars of advanced practice. This will enable you to develop a high level of c

Teaching and Learning

In your second year, we will support you to continue to develop your research skills and practice experience, with focus on improving services through leadership and education, so that you can become a leader in practice.

You will have three practice experiences in your second year to continue to develop your nursing skills and understanding of nursing interventions in a range of practice settings.

A balance between lecturer-led and student-led learning develops you to become a registered nurse who can capably and confidently engage in continuous professional development (CPD).

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Assessment for Year 1

Compulsory Modules

PERSON-CENTRED NURSING PRACTICE

Code HSC-7200X

Credits 40

Person-centred Nursing Practice spans year one of the Adult Nursing programme encompassing core and field specific learning with professional values central to design. It provides the learning opportunities for students to achieve of Part One of the programme through completion of the PAN Midlands Yorkshire and East Practice Assessment Document (MYEPAD). The central focus of this module is to develop knowledge, skills and practice in preparation for registration with the NMC.

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF HEALTH RESEARCH 1

Code HSC-7201X

Credits 40

This module will prepare students to become evidence-based practitioners, able to critically consume, deliver and develop, health related research. Following the research process, the first year of the module will focus on both applied and theoretical aspects of health research. In doing so, it will explore the basis of clinical research questions, the theoretical underpinnings of research methods and evolution of health research, the application of research techniques and the ethical considerations at each stage. Ultimately, students will be able to understand and implement core research methods and appraise and discuss other people’s research. The module culminates in the submission of a research protocol, written by the student. Students are supported in this module by established researchers.

IMPROVING CARE THROUGH LEADERSHIP AND EDUCATION

Code HSC-7202X

Credits 40

The focus of this module is on leading care and promoting safe practice. The aim of this module is to develop your insight into leadership and education principles to enable you to explore how these concepts impact on health care, service delivery and organisational wellbeing. The module will prepare you to lead in increasingly changing health care systems through promoting an awareness of the current challenges facing health services; the importance of clinical and organisational governance; factors influencing organisational change and strategies and approaches to transform care, services and systems. In doing so, the module takes a person-centred and service-based approach to improvements in the patient experience.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

Assessment for Year 2

Compulsory Modules

NURSING PRACTICE IN CONTEXT

Code HSC-7203X

Credits 0

Nursing Practice in Context spans year two and supports achievement of parts two and three of the programme through completion of the PAN Midlands Yorkshire and East Practice Assessment Document (MYEPAD). The central focus of this module is to further develop knowledge, skills and practice in preparation for registration with the NMC. This module continues to build on theoretical and practice learning from year one combining learning in the practice setting with simulated practice alongside theoretical learning. Students will develop skills of leading and co-ordinating care working towards becoming an independent autonomous practitioner who is able to respond flexibly to a range of complex situations. As preparation for future practice, knowledge, understanding and skills related to physiological states will be integrated with theory of drug actions, pharmacology and the optimisation of medicines to further develop clinical focus during the module. This year long module comprises of three blocks of practice experience: two periods of ten weeks in clinical practice will support achievement of proficiencies identified in ‘Part 2'of the MYEPAD; and a further twelve-week block of clinical practice will focus on achievement of Part 3 proficiencies in the MYEPAD, focussed on leading and co-ordinating care in preparation for registration.

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF HEALTH RESEARCH 2

Code HSC-7204X

Credits 0

This module will prepare students to become evidence-based practitioners, able to critically consume, deliver and develop, health research. Following on from year one, where learning concentrated on developing an understanding of the principles of research, the research process, methods and associated ethics and governance issues, the focus in year two will shift outwards, towards developing an understanding of dissemination of research findings while incorporating an element of raising political awareness within research and the role of health economics and implementation science. During this year students will put their learning from year one into practice by carrying out original research studies, culminating in the submission of a dissertation (synoptic assessment). Students are supported in this module by established researchers.

IMPROVING SERVICES THROUGH LEADERSHIP AND EDUCATION

Code HSC-7205X

Credits 0

The aim of this module is to provide the student with the knowledge and skills to apply leadership, management and education principles in a variety of settings and learn about how quality leadership, management and education leads to improved outcomes and transformation of services and practices for more effective health and social care provision.

YEAR 2 INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT

Code HSC-7206X

Credits 60

This is a 60 credit core Integrated Assessment module will include the summative assessments 100% weighted Dissertation Project that brings together the following modules HSC-7203X; HSC-7204X and HSC-7205X.

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Important Information

Entry Requirements

Degree classification

Minimum 2:2 or equivalent; this programme is also applicable if you are a registered Mental Health, Adult or Children's Nurse who wishes to become a NMC registered Learning Disabilities Nurse. If you are a registered nurse looking for post-registration study opportunities within your own field of practice then this course is not suitable and you may wish to consider our other post-registration, professional Nursing courses delivered at Degree and Master's level.

Degree subject

All subject areas considered

GCSE offer

Applicants will be required to have a minimum of GCSE Maths and English at Grade 4 / C or equivalent.

Additional entry requirements

The University will also take into account the employment experience of applicants where relevant.

Following interview, successful candidates will be required to complete a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) online portfolio set against defined NMC outcomes (NMC, 2018), which, on confirmation of achievement, candidates will be eligible to commence the MSc accelerated programme in 2 years.

placements

As this course includes patient facing placements in health or social care settings, and these are a mandatory component of the course, you will need to comply with the placement vaccination policy. Failure to meet the placement vaccination policy may prevent you from joining the course or may lead to your withdrawal from the course in the future. Future employment may also be subject to this condition.

Students for whom english is a foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in all components)
PTE (Pearson): 67 (minimum 64 in all components)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests

INTO UEA also run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk

Interviews

Applicants who pass the initial screening stage will be considered for interview.

Intakes

This course is open to UK, EU and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in February each year.

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Course Reference Number: 6344307

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2022/23 are:

UK Students: £18,500 (Full-time on a two-year basis. Course fee charged £9,250 per academic year)
International Students: £36,950 (Course fee charged as £36,950 over two academic years, £18,500 per academic year. 2021-22 entrants are liable for £17,600 in 2022-23)

We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month.

Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.

Course related costs

There will be some additional costs associated with this course. For example:

You will be required to meet the costs of General Practitioner/Occupational Health clearance prior to course commencement. 
Costs of required immunisations may be incurred both prior to course commencement and during the course. 
You will also be required to provide enhanced clearance by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) due to the professional requirements of the programme, which you will need to pay for.

You should also expect to meet the costs of travel to and from your placements and additional accommodation costs where these are necessary to meet programme placement requirements. Uniforms are currently purchased for you, but if you would like additional uniforms you will need to pay for these.

You may also choose to buy resources that improve your study experience, such as ICT resources, books and journals. 

 In summary, expected costs will include: 

Placement travel 
Placement accommodation 
DBS checks 
Health screening and vaccinations 
Additional or replacement uniforms 
Books, ICT resources 
Re-assessment fees as required

Find further information regarding additional course costs.

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Course Reference Number: 6344307

MSc LEARNING DISABILITY NURSING