Nursing - Professional Nursing - Learning Disabilities

Overview
The MSc Professional Nursing programme will enable you to graduate with a Masters from Queen's University Belfast and you will be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Registered Nurse Learning Disabilities (RNLD).

Learning disabilities nurses work with children, adults and older adults with learning disabilities and their families. Learning disabilities nurses support people to improve their health and wellbeing and be as independent as possible. This is to enable and support them to live rich and fulfilling lives to be part of the communities in which they live.

Career opportunities are diverse and varied, and this programme of studies enables learning disabilities nurses to work in a range of care and support services, including child health, primary and acute care, hospitals, day and respite services, residential services, nursing homes, forensic and prison services, care of older people and end-of-life and palliative care services.

The roles undertaken by learning disabilities nurses provides rewarding, exciting and challenging career opportunities both locally and internationally. Within your learning disabilities nursing role, you will work with a diverse range of professions including doctors, clinical psychologists, therapists, and social workers to ensure that people with learning disabilities and their families receive the supports they require.

The learning disabilities nursing programme prepares students with the knowledge, skills, attributes necessary to provide person and family centred care and support which is safe and effective. As a learning disabilities nurse you will become skilled at supporting people with learning disabilities and their families in all aspects of their life. Leadership will be demonstrated through a commitment to professional values and evidence-based practice to improve health, outcomes for individuals, families, and wider communities.

Our highly experienced and motivated and committed academic lecturers are actively engaged in areas of speciality practice. Our personal tutor and link lecturer systems ensures that students are fully supported throughout their learning journey. The School of Nursing and Midwifery was awarded the Best Student Experience in 2021 Student Nursing Times Awards and the Learning Disabilities Nursing programme was rated 3rd highest by students across universities in the UK.

You will learn in our state-of-the-art clinical skills and simulation suite and complete practice placements in a range of settings. The course is taught by experts in learning disability nursing, who will support you in becoming a caring, compassionate professional, working in partnership with people, families, and communities. Our focus on interdisciplinary learning throughout the two-year course will enrich your experience and help prepare you for the reality of professional practice.

This programme is fully funded by the Department of Health for Home students; eligible students may be able to access full fees and a bursary. Students on this programme are ineligible to apply for funding from the Student Loans Company. The programme is not available as a part time programme.

If you have previously commenced or completed a DoH paid place/bursary for a pre-registration nursing, midwifery or AHP course in Northern Ireland you may not be eligible for a funded place on this programme.

In 2023 we are unable to offer this programme to students who are not eligible for a funded place, which will include GB and overseas students.

Learning and Teaching
At Queen's, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable student to achieve their full academic potential.

On the MSc Professional Nursing we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:

E-Learning technologies
Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Canvas. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space, podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities.

Lectures
Introduce information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers)

Personal Tutor
Students are allocated a Personal Tutor who meets with them on several occasions during each year to support their academic development.

Practical and Simulation Based Education
Where you will have opportunities to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts in our ground-breaking simulation centre. All nursing students have opportunities to engage in interprofessional education (IPE) activities. You will be expected to attend 100% of classes within your nursing modules.

Self-directed study
This is an essential part of life as a Queen's student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and research work for assignments is carried out.

Seminars/tutorials/workshops
Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess your own progress and understanding with the support of peers. You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups

Work Practice placements
Students will undertake clinical placements regularly throughout the programme. This enhances the link from theory to practice in nursing and provides students with a wide variety of opportunities and experiences in all fields of nursing. It is an essential component of the programme, ensuring that the student has sufficient opportunities to develop skill and competence in care provision and decision making, meeting the requirements for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2020).

Placements in Learning Disabilities Nursing can be anywhere in Northern Ireland; students should expect to travel to placements. When on placements every student is assigned a Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor, who are trained in teaching within the clinical setting. Students should expect to work night shifts and/or long days on a regular basis while on placement

Course Structure
The two year programme will comprise of 50% academic modules and 50% in practice learning. All modules are listed below.

Academic Modules
Students will be required to complete all compulsory modules, plus a Placement Portfolio to successfully complete this programme.

Applied Life Science
Students will develop confidence in bioscience knowledge, competence in integrating biosciences in evidence informed clinical decision making and care, and communication with multiprofessional teams and patients.

Developing Leadership and Professionalism
Students will demonstrate positive knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in leading and managing care in a diverse health and social care system. This will be achieved through the following themes:
Leadership and management;
Principles of supervision and assessment in practice;
Professional values.

Foundation of Learning Disabilities Nursing
Students will explore what it means to care for someone with a learning disability. The student will develop an awareness and understanding of the needs of people with learning disabilities across the lifespan, patterns of health and wellness, factors affecting quality of care and support and inclusion and the impact on families and carers and the role of other professionals in the provision of care and support. The student will look at how to support the person to live a fulfilling life by helping improve and maintain the person's physical and mental health, by reducing barriers to healthcare and by encouraging independence in each individual.

Pharmacology
Students in all fields of nursing will recognise the journey of a prescription from the assessment process with the patient, to prescribing partnership, supply, storage, dispensing and administration of that medication. They will gain an understanding of the families of drugs applied across the lifespan, consider the therapeutic and adverse effects of those medications and identify factors that could modify patients' responses to medication.

Practice Learning 1
Students will demonstrate practical knowledge and skills to promote mental and physical well-being for clients with learning disabilities across the lifespan under the following themes:

-Person centred care and positive therapeutic relationships
-Communication skills and therapeutic interventions
-Inter-professional team working

Practice Learning 2
Students will demonstrate in depth knowledge and skills underpinning the care of people with learning disabilities throughout the lifespan.

Professionalism, Caring and Communication in Nursing
This module will cover the essential knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours required to demonstrate accountability by nurses in all care settings. This includes: introduction to the four fields of nursing; person-centred care; values based nursing care; understanding wellness; compassion, empathy; ensuring equality and diversity is respected across vulnerable populations.

Public Health and Supporting People with Chronic Health Care Needs Students will explore how health is conceptualised locally and globally. They will demonstrate understanding of the role of public health in maintaining the health of individuals and communities including vulnerable populations with specific health needs

Quality Improvement in an Interprofessional Context - Part A Students will demonstrate the skills to lead, facilitate and disseminate a Quality Improvement project to promote the embedding of outcomes as part of an interprofessional team. Students will work with practice to identify a QI project, plan, implement all aspects of the project, analyse the data and report/ disseminate the findings.

Quality Improvement in an Interprofessional Context - Part B Students will demonstrate the skills to lead, facilitate and disseminate a Quality Improvement project to promote the embedding of outcomes as part of an interprofessional team. Students will work with practice to identify a QI project, plan, implement all aspects of the project, analyse the data and report/ disseminate the findings.

Safe Medicate 2
This module provides numeracy and problem solving skills that underpin medication dosage calculations preparing students for safe clinical practice.

Safe Medicate 3
Having developed insight into key formula, students will engage and apply previous knowledge in more complex field specific scenarios preparing students for safe clinical practice as they prepare for entry to the register.

Graduate
All applicants must normally have a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade C/4 to include English Language or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University, Mathematics and a Science subject (i.e. Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Double Award Science or Single Award Science). GCSE Applied Science is not acceptable in lieu of GCSE Science. (Qualified nurses and midwives may be considered to have met the GCSE entry requirements).

In addition to the GCSE requirements, or equivalent, all applicants must have an Honours degree in any subject with an award of 2.1 or above. Candidates with an Honours degree in any subject with an award of 2.2 will be considered on a case by case basis.

Students who have a first degree in nursing and who are registered with the NMC will be eligible to apply for a field of practice in which they are currently not registered.

Applicants must submit a portfolio of evidence as part of their application, which should include evidence of 650 hrs of verified direct care, and personal statements that reflect the skills, knowledge and attributes for nurses based on the NMC Code. The portfolio is considered alongside the academic entrance requirements. Applicants who satisfy the academic and portfolio requirements or will be able to do so by 31st August 2023, will be shortlisted for interview. (Qualified nurses and midwives will be considered to have met the portfolio condition and will not be required to submit a portfolio to be considered for interview).

Interviews will normally take place in early summer and will evaluate the candidate's experience of healthcare, or other relevant direct care employment, paid or voluntary, as well as the skills, knowledge and attributes expected of graduates.

We are unable to offer this programme to students who are not eligible for a funded place, which will include GB and overseas students. In addition, students who have already received Department of Health funding for pre-registration Nursing, Midwifery or AHP courses in Northern Ireland will not be eligible to join this programme.

The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicy for more information.

International Students
For information on international qualification equivalents, please check the specific information for your country.

English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 7.0, with not less than 7.0 in reading, listening and speaking, and no less than 6.5 in writing, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years.

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
• Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level

• Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 31st July 2023 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Application Portal against the programme application page.

How to Apply
Applications should be submitted online via the Postgraduate Applications Portal for admission to the vast majority of postgraduate programmes.

New applicants will need to register via the Portal to create an application account. If you are already a Queen's student with an active Qsis account, you can log in using your student number and Qsis password. Guidance on how to complete an application is provided within the Portal and it is possible to save application data and return to complete it at a later date, if you wish. After core details about yourself and your academic background have been provided, you can submit an application, or multiple applications, if required.

If you applied in a previous cycle through the Portal and are re-applying, you should use your previous log in details. Please review and update your personal and contact details, academic and professional qualifications before submitting a new application.

Important – please ensure that the email address you provide is correct and active, as this will be used by us to communicate the progress of your application to you.

Closing date for applications: 12 noon on Monday 24th April 2023.

2 years (Full Time).

Contact Teaching Hours
Medium Group Teaching
25 (hours maximum)
This is a full time programme using blended learning. Students should be available to either attend class or complete all online elements across the week. 100% attendance is required for face to face teaching.

Personal Study
0 (hours maximum)
Students will be expected to prepare for classes and develop assignments during unscheduled time.

Career Prospects
Introduction
Career opportunities are diverse and varied, and this programme of studies enables learning disabilities nurses to work in a range of care and support services, including child health, primary and acute care, hospitals, day and respite services, residential services, nursing homes, forensic and prison services, care of older people and end-of-life and palliative care services.

The roles undertaken by learning disabilities nurses provides rewarding, exciting and challenging career opportunities both locally and internationally. Within your learning disabilities nursing role, you will work with a diverse range of professions including doctors, clinical psychologists, therapists, and social workers to ensure that people with learning disabilities and their families receive the supports they require.

Studying for an MSc Professional Nursing degree at Queen's will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from Queen's are well regarded by employers both nationally and internationally.

The majority of our graduates pursue a career in nursing which is an interesting, rewarding and challenging career where work can be in a variety of health care settings from accident and emergency to working in patients' homes, with people of all ages and backgrounds. Nursing can also offer a diverse range of post registration opportunities to specialise in areas such as public health and health promotion; as well as education and research

Employment after the Course
Graduates of this programme will have the opportunity to quickly gain access to higher level and management roles, building an exceptional career from the very beginning.

Professional Opportunities
Further study is also an option open to Nursing graduates, and some may choose to follow a research pathway. There is a range of PhD Nursing opportunities available within the School; click here for more information.
https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate-research/nursing-midwifery-phd.html

Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.