Institute of Health

BNurs (Hons) Learning Disabilities Nursing with Foundation Year

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BNurs (Hons)
Start date(s)
25 September 2023
UCAS Code
B763
Course specifications
Course length
Full-time (4 years)
Campus location
Walsall Campus
UCAS points calculator

Why choose this course?

Working as a qualified learning disability nurse is a rewarding and fulfilling career option, and improves the lives of both people who have learning differences and difficulties, and their families. If you want to work with people who require various levels of empowerment and support then our Learning Disabilities Nursing degree will provide you with a good mixture of practice-centred opportunities with a person-centered approach, helping you to achieve your goal.

Employment opportunities after you complete your course are excellent with a wide variety of job prospects available. Our graduates have recently secured employment as community nurses, working in forensic settings, within nursing homes, and more. Services for people who have a learning disability are changing, and it's exciting to be part of this change.

It is our aim to provide you with the opportunities to enable you to build your own career pathway as a learning disability nurse. You will help vulnerable people with learning disabilities to live the best lives they can, achieving their aspirations to engage in citizenship in their local communities.

Placements will be undertaken with one of six NHS Trusts; The Royal Wolverhampton TrustWalsall Healthcare NHS TrustThe Dudley Group NHS Foundation TrustSandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS TrustShrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust, or in private health organisations. 

For more information on placements and locations, visit Nursing Placements.

What happens on the course?

Our learning disability nursing course provides you with the necessary exposure to placements within the NHS, private and voluntary sector. It is our aim to provide you with the necessary tools to enable you to learn to work effectively within an interprofessional team and with service users plus their carer’s.

Over your 3 years with us you will spend 50% of your time with us in the university and 50% of your course time out in practice settings. Our integrated course design supports to develop you to be the best learning disability nurse you can be. Our modules involve people who have a learning disability within the teaching team via our university SUCCESS group.

On successful completion of the course you be able to apply to enter the Nursing and Midwifery Council register as a learning disability nurse with an Hons degree.

Study a learning disability nursing course that will give you the best chance to find your nursing career, at a world-renowned university with NHS links and other beneficial contacts.

Course Modules

Potential Career Paths

Successful completion of the BNurs (Hons) Learning Disability Nursing will lead to the right to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

This course will build and develop upon your knowledge and skills as a learning disability nursing practitioner working with people with learning disabilities in a variety of settings. The management and organisation of service provision is constantly changing and developing in line with health and social care policy, and you are working with and being involved with such changes. Hence you need to develop the knowledge and skills to enhance your employability and to accept the greater responsibilities that these changes will bring and to be prepared for such changes.

Throughout your time here at the University of Wolverhampton, this course will enable you to develop the skills to enhance your employment prospects in learning disability services. Developing specialist subject and academic knowledge is important for employers but they also want to employ individuals who are able to:
  • Communicate effectively
  • Work in a team and have good interpersonal skills.
  • Solve problems
  • Work on their own using their own initiative and are able to adapt to changing situations
  • Be self-confident
  • Demonstrate flexible and transferable skills whilst working in a variety of settings
This course will also assist you in developing your skills to analyse practice by using appropriate evidence to improve service delivery and to promote empowerment for life chances and healthy lifestyles for people with learning disabilities

Registered nurses continue to study after they have qualified, often in a specialist area, as they develop their career path within the UK or working abroad. 

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

Studying the BNurs (Hons) Learning Disability Nursing course gives you:

  • excellent opportunities for inter-disciplinary learning across all nursing pathways and with midwifery, social work and social care students.
  • excellent placement opportunities across a range of health, education, day services and social care settings
  • opportunities to contribute to national and regional Learning Disability conferences
  • opportunities to publish in national learning disability journals
  • opportunities to participate in national and regional research projects
  • £250 Travel Fund for first year students that can be used for travel to placements as well as to University. If additional costs are incurred when attending placements, you can apply to the NHS for support: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/learning-support-fund/travel-and-dual-accommodation-expenses
  • international placement opportunities such as Spain, Finland, Norway
  • the opportunity to apply for £5,000 learning support fund per year from the NHS, including the foundation year. Learn more on our fees and support pages

When you qualify as a registered learning disability nurse you will have the ability to:

  1. Meet the NMC Standards of proficiency for pre-registration nursing education.
  2. Provide nursing care that is safe, effective and ethical and assume full responsibility and accountability for your own practice as a nurse registered with the NMC within the legal framework of the country in which you are employed.
  3. Reflect upon and critically evaluate evidence to reach sound nursing judgements and exercise effective decision-making in complex situations within the learning disability sphere of practice.
  4. Critically examine the impact of political, professional and social contexts on your provision of person-centred learning disability nursing care within a multidisciplinary team.
  5. Effectively apply your learning to identify, manage and lead enterprising innovations and service improvements in learning disability practice.
  6. Demonstrate competence in the use of advanced technologies to quality-assure, enhance your learning disability nursing practice, and maintain your life-long learning.

Location Mode Fee Year
Home Full-time £9250 per year 2022-23
Home Full-time £9250 per year 2023-24
International Full-time £13450 per year 2022-23
International Full-time £14450 per year 2023-24

Additional Course Costs

Mandatory Costs

  • Enhanced DBS is required after your first year, at a minimum cost of £40. The cost of the DBS is determined by the Government and further information can be found here - GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service.
    Note - International checks (INTCC) as part of the DBS are required and costs vary by country.
  • Uniform and ID badges are provided for this course, however the University of Wolverhampton reserves the right to charge for extra uniform should this be required
  • You will be required to provide appropriate foot wear at a cost of approximately  £25-£40  

Optional Costs

  • Various certified courses are available via My Course + More, ranging from £0-£200

Further information on these additional costs will be provided prior to the start of your studies

The University is committed to a transparent fee structure, with no hidden costs, to help you make an informed decision. This includes information on what is included in the fee and how fees are calculated and reviewed

Key Entry Requirements 

Either  

  • A-levels: Grade profile of DD 

  • Access to HE Diploma (60 credits):  of which a minimum of 45 must be at Level 3 (48 UCAS point equivalence, minimum 45 credits at pass)

  • BTEC: Grade profile of PPP 

  • T-Level: Pass grade with a core component profile less than C.  

  • Tariff: Other Level 3 qualifications are accepted for entry. A minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points will be required. 

  • Other: We also consider applicants who have not achieved 48 UCAS points from prior level 3 qualifications. If you have a keen interest in this subject area or hold relevant experience, we also welcome your application. If you would like more advice and guidance about this admissions pathway, please complete this form and we'll contact you to discuss and support you making an application to us. 

Plus 

  • GCSE: English language and maths grades 9-4/A*-C or equivalent 

  • Equivalent qualifications include the following at Level 2:  

  • Functional Skills, Key Skills, Learn Direct. 

  • Equivalency Test: If you have not achieved your Level 2 qualifications, you are eligible to take our University equivalency tests. The tests for this course are free of charge and can be taken completely online. Our admissions team will confirm in your offer if you are required to take one of these assessments.  

AND 

  • Prepare for foundation condition: All applicants will be required to attend a one-day prepare for foundation programme. This compulsory programme is designed to introduce you to studying a health professional course, answer your questions, meet staff and fellow students. You will take part in a variety of subject related activities, this programme will aid you in securing an interview with us and will prepare you to kick start your academic experience with us should you secure an offer.

Interview: 

Our Admissions team will use the entry criteria and your application information to shortlist successful candidates. If you are successful you will be invited to select an interview date through e:Vision. For further interview information click here 

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Occupational Health Check: 

Due to the professional nature of this course you are also required to complete a Declaration of Health and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check.  We will coordinate both of these non-academic condition checks if you accept an offer with us. The DBS cost is currently £46 in total. 

Progression Information: 

Applicants who successfully complete the foundation year programme can progress onto Level 4 of this course area, you will not be required to reapply or reinterview. 

If you complete this foundation year programme and decide you wish to change your degree subject, you will be required to apply again through UCAS and take part in the course specific interview and selection process for this new course area.  

Don't have GCSE English and/or Maths? Take our Equivalency Assessments

We understand that not everyone is able to achieve GCSE Maths and English for a variety of reasons. Our equivalency assessments provide an opportunity for you to further your English and/or Maths skills ready for your studies, as well as being able to meet part of the entry requirements for many of our undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Our online equivalency assessments are free of charge and accepted as the equivalent to a GCSE for the majority of our courses, however applicants of Initial Teacher Training courses will need to sit an on-campus equivalency test which costs £35. Find out more about our equivalency tests.

Tuition Fees Loan (Home Fee Status):

Most students will be able to apply for a loans to pay for these subject to eligibility. To find out more information please refer to the government Student Finance website.

Changes for EU students:

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as having Overseas Fee status. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:

EU citizens living in the UK with 'settled' status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, will still be classified as Home students, providing they meet the usual residency requirements, for more information about EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) click here.


Self-funding:

If you don’t want to take out a loan to pay your fees or if you aren’t eligible to receive a loan, you might want to take advantage of the University’s scheme to pay by instalments: See How to pay.

For more information please contact the Gateway.


Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

If your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund.

for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Bursaries and Scholarships:

In addition the University also offers a range of Bursaries and Scholarships packages

You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Online

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