Nursing with Registered Nurse (Learning Disabilities)

Our registered nursing programmes are full-time. You will spend 37.5 hours per week in study or on placement, over the full year (52 weeks). It is therefore not possible to study this course and also work full-time.

We are committed to delivering academic learning of the highest quality, helping you to stretch your mind and fulfil your university and career pathway ambitions.

Additionally, many of our academic staff are not only registered nurse teachers, but they also hold dual professional nursing registration and often work within the clinical setting when not teaching. This enables our staff to maintain clinical competence and makes them ideally placed to support you on your learning journey.

A three-year degree qualification typically comprises 360 credits and each 20 credit equates to 200 hours of study, which comprises of a mixture of lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical sessions and independent study.

Independent study is an important aspect of your degree course. The exact combination of study time will be detailed within your module descriptors.

Both theory and practice elements of the course will be assessed throughout the duration of the three years of the programme using written essays, reports, posters, presentations, examinations and observation of practice. The course encourages students to become independent learners who are self-motivated and fosters the adoption of a self-directed approach to the management of your nursing studies.

The School is one of the largest providers of healthcare education in the North West region and as a result we have developed close links with healthcare providers across the whole of the central Lancashire area including NHS trusts in Preston and Chorley, the Fylde Coast, Fleetwood and Blackpool, Blackburn, Burnley, Wigan and Southport and Ormskirk. At our Westlakes campus we have strong links with NHS Trusts in the Cumbria region including at Whitehaven, Workington and Carlisle.

We can also arrange placements with private healthcare providers; independent and voluntary sector organisations and these learning environments provide our students with a unique insight into how healthcare is managed in all settings, not just within the NHS.

All clinical placement providers are audited according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council professional regulatory requirements for learning in clinical practice and each area has a dedicated member of academic staff attached to the placement, so that you may access support and advice.

Academic staff work in close contact with the NHS Trust Practice Education Facilitators and the development of these close links with practice partners will enable you to feel confident that your practice experiences are supported throughout your course.

As part of your clinical experiences you can expect to work alongside a practice supervisor and practice assessor who will support your learning journey throughout each placement area. All students are expected to work closely with their practice assessors, which may entail working a range of different shift patterns throughout the year.