Learning Disability Nursing

During the course you will learn about specialist nursing care for people with learning disabilities and the management of their cognitive, psychological, physical and social needs. The primary aim of being a learning disability nurse is to support the well-being and social inclusion of people with learning disabilities; through improving or maintaining physical and mental health to live full and rewarding lives within their communities. You need to be committed and dedicated with the willingness to give time to others with care and compassion. 

With an excellent reputation and good links with the local NHS trust and other potential employers, you will benefit from our NMC-accredited course when applying for jobs. This course is structured through Inter-professional (IP) learning. Allowing you to collaborate with other allied healthcare students and professionals and gain a wider understanding of issues and debates in the sector. 

During this course – thanks to strong links with service providers across the region – we can offer a range of placement opportunities embedded within all three years of the course. You will find opportunities in areas specific to the field, such as, community learning disability nursing teams, respite and inpatient services, learning disability primary and acute care liaison nursing, forensic and residential nursing. 

Placements are typically provided across the East Midlands, in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and sometimes in surrounding counties. In your placement, you will work alongside practice supervisors and practice assessors to learn the practical application of nursing relevant to your chosen field. During the course, students also have access to updated facilities, utilising simulation suites, Virtual Reality technology and LearningSpace software.

For further details please contact:

Sam Humphrey

Programme Leader BSc Nursing (hons) with NMC registration

bscnursing@dmu.ac.uk

Key features
- 4,000 work placement opportunities: Our faculty of Health and Life Sciences courses offer more than 4,000 work placements to students, giving you real industry experience.


• Authentic facilities: Study in our purpose-built facilities which comprise clinical skills suites, a moving and handling area, a cardiopulmonary resuscitation room and a sensory room – allowing you to apply theory to practice in a safe environment.



• Build key skills: You'll develop in-demand skills that employers want, including management, communication, leadership and planning.



• Become career ready: Our strong links and integrated work placements with local health and social care providers allow you to experience real-world situations.



• Graduate destinations: Recent graduates have secured roles in specialised care and support for individuals with learning disabilities, working within community and clinical settings including Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.



• Global experience: You can gain valuable international experience as part of their studies through our DMU Global programme.



• Industry informed teaching: The teaching team is made up of highly qualified, highly experienced and skilled nurses with many years of both clinical and academic experience, 2 of whom are also Queens Nurses. DMU has more Learning Disability Nurses educated to doctoral level than any other University in the UK.

At DMU, the focus is on your future - with work experience opportunities on every course, an employability-boosting careers award, and industry-led course content, you'll be well prepared to start your career.

You’ll get guaranteed work experience opportunities with UK and overseas placements, internships, and personalised training. DMU has been named the UK’s Best University for Work Experience (RateMyPlacement 2024 & 2025), offering personalised careers support, industry connections, and placements with global names like Rolls-Royce and Adobe.

DMU is one of only a few universities where you’ll benefit from modular, block teaching where you’ll study one subject at a time for deeper learning and better results.

Situated in the heart of Leicester, a vibrant student-friendly city, the campus is just a short walk from everything the city has to offer. Its central location means you can hop on a train and be in cities like London, Birmingham and Nottingham in around an hour or less.