Nursing (Learning Disability) BSc (Hons)

Swansea University

Our Learning Disability Nursing degree course will give you the skills and experience to launch a rewarding career in this diverse and essential profession. Over the course of this carefully-integrated, three year BSc programme, you will learn how to support people who have a learning disability, of all ages and backgrounds, throughout all stages of their lives.

As you progress, our range of learning and teaching strategies will develop your critical thinking to enable you to identify the diverse and complex needs of people with learning disabilities; make an accurate nursing diagnosis and plan and evaluate the care required to maximise service users’ participation in society. You will learn how to meet the needs of people with mental, physical, cognitive, or behavioural health challenges, enabling practitioners to be able to support people with learning disabilities of any age.

Half of your teaching takes place in the university and the other half in healthcare settings. We have excellent working relationships with many healthcare providers, so you will have access to a wide range of clinical experiences across south west Wales.

We have an outstanding reputation for nursing at Swansea and are in the Top 10 in the UK for Nursing Graduate Prospects (The Complete University Guide 2022). We were also shortlisted for the Best Student Experience in The Student Nursing Times Awards 2021.

Our academic staff are qualified nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals, many of whom are also practising clinicians, providing an exceptional combination of theoretical rigour, professional insight, and practical expertise.

We have very strong links with Welsh health boards, opening up clinical placement opportunities for you in a variety of settings in both urban and rural locations. Meanwhile, the nearest hospital is right next door to our Singleton Park campus on the edge of the beautiful Gower Peninsula.

Our excellent facilities include a realistic clinical suite so you can put your theoretical knowledge into practice in an environment that reflects as closely as possible the actual conditions that you will experience when you go on placement in a hospital or community setting.

You can also study part of your nursing degree through the medium of Welsh and may be eligible for internal scholarships or financial support through Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

As a Learning Disability Nurse, you can expect a starting salary of £25,655 rising to £53,219 for a highly experienced staff nurse.