Learning Disabilities Nursing BSc (Hons)

Building on the theory and practice of year 1, the second year of the programme aims to enable further skills development in care provision across the lifespan. Professional skills should be further developed to enable the nursing professional the opportunity to carry out holistic assessment of needs and plan effective care for service users.  Ethical and legal aspects of clinical decision-making in the context of nursing are also explored. 

Modules

• Ethical and Legal Decision Making in the Context of Nursing - 20 credits

  This module will introduce you to the underlying principles of healthcare ethics, legislation and social policy. This will include the protection of vulnerable people across the lifespan including those with complex needs. You should be equipped to recognise ethical challenges relating to people's choices and decision-making about their health and wellbeing across care settings. Ability to act within the law to help service users, families and carers to manage needs will be explored. 

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

• Developing the Management of Care Across the Lifespan (Practice 3) - 20 credits

  This module provides you with opportunities in the workplace to build on your foundations of practice and enable you to work more independently with less direct supervision in an increasingly competent and confident manner to deliver quality holistic person- and family-centred care. It will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate, through your practice, your potential to become an autonomous practitioner.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

• Assessing Needs and Planning Care Across the Lifespan - 20 credits

  The module aims to build on assessment skills leading on to the development of personalised plans of care. It aims to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to undertake comprehensive and systematic assessments and interpret data in order to support individuals with acute and complex health needs across the lifespan. You will be supported to consider the holistic care needs of individuals who are among the most marginalised within our society.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

• Managing Care Across the Lifespan Practice 4 - 20 credits

  This module provides you with additional opportunities to display your ability to work more independently, with less direct supervision, in a safe and increasingly confident manner to deliver quality holistic person- and family-centred care. It will provide you with the opportunity to extend and apply your knowledge and skills towards becoming an autonomous practitioner.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

• Facilitation and Teaching of Learning in Practice - 10 credits

  This module demonstrates how the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards Framework for Nursing and Midwifery Education (particularly Part 2- Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment) (NMC, 2018) are applied in practice.

  This module will enable you to understand the role of the practice supervisor (in association with the practice assessor and academic assessor) through reflective practice and the novice to expert model. This module aims to develop your inter-professional learning and working through supporting and supervising fellow students of the multidisciplinary team.

   

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

• Developing Evidence Informed Decision Making in Nursing - 10 credits

  This module provides you with the opportunity to build further on skills and knowledge related to research and evidence-informed practice acquired in year one. It enables you to develop specific nursing-focused questions to underpin evidence-informed decision-making and practice. You will develop a research proposal to underpin year three work. The processes of literature review and research production, including ethical requirements will be analysed, taking into account global and cultural perspectives.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

• Advancing Therapeutic Care in Learning Disabilities Nursing - 20 credits

  This module aims to enable you to develop further knowledge of theories, models and concepts of behavioural issues in the field of learning disabilities practice. The causes and presentation of behaviours which are considered to be challenging will be explored. The module will provide grounding in the safe management of behaviours that may present a challenge to the personal safety of the practitioner, other service users and colleagues.

  You will gain an understanding of the causes and presentation of mental disorder in learning disabilities. Offending behaviour will also be examined. An awareness of social demographics in these areas will also be developed. Available services will be explored with a focus on their history and development. The module will also examine issues around access to these services that are pertinent to people with learning disabilities across the lifespan.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

The final year offers the opportunity to investigate complex care needs and the opportunity to take greater steps towards becoming an autonomous practitioner upon graduation. Program participants are given the opportunity to consider innovative approaches to the development of Learning Disabilities service provision, with consideration given to contemporary issues in professional nursing practice.

Modules

• Leadership and Management for Healthcare Professionals - 20 credits

  You will critically examine clinical leadership and ‘followership’ models and the concept of empowerment and distributed leadership, to gain understanding of ethical leadership, culture and values within the delivery of care.

  You will explore the concepts of service improvement and gain experience of leading and participating in projects, using relevant management tools and techniques.

  You will reflect on your observed experience of clinical leadership behaviours and management skills whilst on clinical placement throughout their course, to develop a personal development plan to guide your ongoing leadership development as a healthcare professional.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework, group presentation

• Application of Complex Care in Integrated Care Settings - 20 credits

  This module aims to explore and critically debate issues related to specialist and innovative learning disabilities practice in local, national and international context. You will be exposed to discussion and debate on core topics intrinsic to learning disabilities. You will apply contemporary knowledge which will inform learning disabilities practice.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

• Co-ordinating Health and Social Care Practice 5 - 20 credits

  This module aims to extend your ability to practice more independently in a safe and increasingly competent and confident manner. This will enable you to become autonomous practitioners who are responsible and accountable for safe, compassionate, person-centred, evidence-informed nursing that respects and maintains dignity and human rights.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

• Specialist Issues in Learning Disabilities Nursing - 10 credits

  Learning disabilities nurses are expected to be able to adapt their practice and the support they offer according to the needs of service users, in a variety of health settings. In this module you will have the opportunity to further examine care packages and critically evaluate the relationship between the complex care needs of people with learning disabilities and role of the learning disability nurse.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

• The Autonomous Practitioner (Practice 6) - 20 credits

  This module aims to provide you with opportunities to practice the competencies identified for registration as a nurse which are stipulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018). This includes demonstrating your competence to:

  Practice autonomously, compassionately, skilfully and safely whilst maintaining dignity and promoting health and wellbeing

  Display professional accountability and responsibility by the use of clinical governance processes to maintain and improve nursing practice and standards of healthcare

  Use management and leadership skills to take the lead in coordinating, delegating and supervising care safely, including the management of risk and ensuring public safety

  Communicate in a safe, effective, compassionate and respectful manner

  Exhibit the capability of informed decision making to promote, plan, and prioritise service delivery.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

• Evidence-Based Project - 20 credits

  This module provides you with the opportunity to undertake an in-depth exploration in an area of special interest which will have relevance to nursing practice and which makes clear connections with local and/or national priorities in health and social care. You will establish a specific question upon which to focus and using an appropriate method of enquiry, you will be required to systematically investigate the question and analyse the information generated in order to derive a set of findings or results using a literature-based strategy. On the basis of the study results, you will be encouraged to identify the implications and recommendations for professional nursing practice and collaborative healthcare. On completion of this module, you will have an enhanced understanding of the relationship between the research and evidence-based practice and professional nursing care.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

• Transition to the Accountable Practitioner - 10 credits

  This module will critically review the accountability and responsibility of the registered nurse in clinical practice. It will explore the key attributes of accountable practice such as individual accountability, escalating concerns, managerial responsibilities, safety, quality, delegation and clinical decision-making within the context of providing safe, effective, person centred and compassionate care.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: Coursework

You will use equipment found in the real world of practice, such as medical devices to assist with all elements of care including medication administration, to help build confidence before you go on placement.

Simulation facilities

You’ll be able to make use of our extensive simulation facilities – from basic life support mannequins to high tech simulation dummies, which emulate patient responses and test resuscitation skills.

 

Mock hospital ward

Gaining experience using simulation across a range of care settings is aimed at building your confidence and knowledge about how to act in these situations. You can practise and develop your clinical and interpersonal skills in a safe but realistic environment.

Realistic scenarios

We use actors to enhance your experience, giving you the opportunity to replicate real-life situations including breaking bad news, demonstrating emotional resilience, conflict, aggression, teaching and child protection conference.