Are you looking for an interesting and exciting career in nursing? Learning disability nurses are qualified to work with individuals with learning disabilities – from childhood through to end of life. They work in a person-centred way and are passionate about rights, choice, inclusion, and equality. Supporting individuals with learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder – is an enriching and life-affirming experience and this course will help you become a competent, caring, and compassionate learning disability nurse. You’ll develop communication, interpersonal, leadership and management skills, become confident in person-centred approaches, and improve evidence-based decision-making and teamworking. This blended learning course provides a flexible way to study via mainly digital technologies. You’ll attend the campus for 20 days per year of the course, undertaking practice placements across the NHS and healthcare organisations close to home. The course is designed for those who would like to become a nurse and are located within the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, Cheshire and Merseyside, North West, Cumbria or North Lincolnshire. If you’re outside these areas, please visit Health Education England for more information.

You'll be taught by a team who understand what it is like be a learning disability nurse. Individuals with learning disabilities are also involved in the development of our teaching materials and will work with you on campus. After successful completion of the course, you can apply to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and work as a Registered Learning Disability Nurse. On the course, you’ll gain real-world experience through clinical placements in a variety of settings, including the NHS and healthcare organisations in a setting close to your home. You can also borrow a clinical skills kit to familiarise yourself with equipment you may use in practice, and you’ll become part of an online community, showcasing your work, collaborating with peers, and establishing relationships with tutors. You’ll also learn through independent, self-directed study, developing confidence in your self-discipline and organisational skills. In 2024, the University’s new Daphne Steele Building opens on the site of the National Health Innovation campus, too, allowing Learning Disability Nursing students to benefit from specialist clinical teaching facilities and world-leading research facilities.

This course is regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Huddersfield’s vibrant and friendly campus is a great place from which to study, while the town itself offers lots to see and do, with good transport links in and around the area.

Successful completion of our Health Foundation Pathway will equip you with the foundation knowledge to study Learning Disability Nursing.