If you're a highly motivated graduate with care experience who wishes to become a registered learning disability nurse and gain an MSc in an accelerated two year timeframe, the MSc Nursing graduate entry programme is perfect for you. 

People with learning disabilities are amongst one of the most socially excluded and vulnerable groups in the UK today. To overcome these barriers and challenges, the Learning Disability (LD) nurse has a vast range of skills to utilise in supporting individuals with learning disabilities to access services for which they are entitled.  LD nurses can comprehensively assess health and social care needs; provide interventions to maintain and improve health and promote wellbeing; provide advice, education and support to people and their carers throughout their care journey.  They also enable equality of access and outcomes within health and social care services; provide education and support to promote healthy lifestyle and choices; and act to safeguard and protect the rights of people with learning disabilities.

The programme builds your academic skill sets, professional responsibility and technical complexity related to patient care throughout the two years. Successful completion of this innovative programme will ensure you will meet the registration requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The programme meets the NMC standards for pre-registration nursing education. The NMC (2018a) reviewed their standards with the publication of ‘Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses’ and this programme reflects the comprehensive range of subject knowledge, clinical skills and leadership required of the registered Nurse from September 2020. This programme also meets the requirements of the Higher Education (HE) quality standards. Quality Academic Assurance Standards (QAA) are also met through the Frameworks for HE qualifications of UK degree-awarding bodies (QAA, 2014), and the Higher Education Credit Framework for England (QAA, 2008).

The Keele ‘Future Nurse’ MSc Nursing programme has been designed to meet the seven NMC platforms, which underpin pre-registration nursing education (NMC, 2018a). These require you, regardless of your chosen field, to demonstrate core knowledge, skills, standards, behaviours to meet people’s needs, as well as field-specific knowledge and skills as required in either adult, children’s, learning disability or mental health nursing. 

Upon successful completion of this course you will be a qualified, capable postgraduate nurse ready to work in your chosen specialism. You will have developed competency in assessing, delivering and managing nursing care and be able to confidently support your nursing practice decisions with a robust evidence base. You will have the research and leadership skills to work as a leader and change agent.