Becoming a learning disability nurse
A Learning Disability Nurse supports the wellbeing and social inclusion of people with learning disabilities to reach their full potential, achieve a good quality of life, and be valued in society.
Learning Disability Nurses care for people of all ages with a learning disability and work in partnership with individuals, supporters, family and carers to provide specialist healthcare.
What do Learning Disability Nurses do?
The main areas of your role as a Learning Disability Nurse involve:
- improving or maintaining a person’s physical and mental health
- reducing barriers to them living an independent life
- supporting the person in living a fulfilling life
- advocating.
Learning Disability Nurses promote individuals’ autonomy, rights, choices, and their social inclusion in the health care system.
Learning Disability nurses work in:
A Learning Disability Nurse is:
- caring
- passionate about equality
- person-centred
- an advocate for others
- non-judgemental
- a great communicator
- patient
- compassionate
- professional.
- All nursing competencies required by the Nursing & Midwifery Council to be a Registered Nurse.
- How to look at a person multi-systemically to identify all biopsychosocial factors that contribute to peoples health needs and achievement of quality of life.
- How people develop through life stages and how developmental delay can affect people.
- What it is like to live with a learning disability.
- Different syndromes, health needs linked to syndromes, and evidence based interventions.
- Human behaviour and the factors that influence this.
- How we learn and how to support people with disabilities in learning.
- Neurodiversities and neurodivergence.
- Sensory differences in people with learning disabilities and neurodivergence.
- Neurology and how neurological differences affect people.
- How and why people with learning disability are more vulnerable to physical and mental health needs and how these can present differently.
- How to work in a person centred way and support disempowered people to be in control.
- Supporting people with complex communication needs and using augmentative and alternative communication systems.
- How to make health and social care systems work for people with learning disabilities.
Learning Disability Nurses can work in the following roles:
- Community Learning Disability Nurses
- Behaviour Specialists
- Specialist Epilepsy Nurses
- Inpatient Learning Disability Nurses
- Paediatric Learning Disability Nurses
- Learning Disability Hospital Liaison Nurses
- Specialist Safeguarding Nurses
- Learning Disability Practice Development Nurse
- Learning Disability Practitioner lecturer roles
- Advanced Nurse Practitioner roles
- Head of Learning Disability Nursing
- Learning Disability Nurse Consultants
- Learning Disability Unit Nurse Director
- Service Management roles.
In the NHS across the UK an entry level Registered Learning Disability Nurse would start at Band 5, for more information on country specific Pay and Conditions see here:
- England – Agenda for change - pay rates
- Northern Ireland – Agenda for change - pay rates
- Scotland – Pay
- Wales – Pay and Benefits
Learning disability nurses may also work outside of the NHS, in social care organisations. Terms and conditions in these settings should be similar to NHS terms.
Once you have registered and gained some clinical experience, there are several employment options available including:
- Clinical Lead
- Nurse Lecturer in a university
- Inpatient Unit/Ward Manager
- Community Learning Disability Team Lead
- Nurse Consultant
- Research/Service Development Nurse
- Advanced Nurse Practitioner
- Senior Nurse Manager
- Government Advisor
- Professional Body e.g. Royal College of Nursing.
To become a registered learning disability nurse, you will need to complete a University Degree Programme in Learning Disability Nursing.
Entry requirements
To become a learning disability nurse the main route is through a degree course at university. Entry requirements for these courses can vary depending on where and how you’d like to study so it's important to check with universities. You can find a learning disability nursing courses at the bottom of this page.
Typically you'll need a minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4/C or above, possibly in English language or literature and a science subject, plus two A levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications, such as a T level or BTEC for an undergraduate degree. Some universities may ask for three A levels or equivalent. If you already have a degree, you might be able to study for a postgraduate qualification through a postgraduate programme.
Each UK country provides different funding options.
England
In England, if this will be you first time studying a bachelor’s degree (for example, BSc or BN) you can apply for a student loan to cover your tuition fees and may also get a grant (depending on your circumstances) towards living costs. Find out more about eligibility for student finance. If you have studied for a bachelor’s degree before, you may not be eligible for all or part of your tuition fees being paid through student finance and may need to self-fund. Information on grants, bursaries and scholarships can be found on the UCAS website. If you choose to study nursing at master’s level (because you already have an eligible first degree in a relevant subject according to the university you are applying to), you may need to self-fund or may be eligible for a postgraduate loan.
You may also be eligible to apply to the NHS Learning Support Fund. The NHS Learning Support Fund is made up of 4 main elements. What you get depends on your circumstances:
- You can apply for a Training Grant of £5,000 per academic year, or a pro rata amount for part-time students. Students on certain courses can get a Special Subject Payment, which is an extra £1,000.
- If you have at least one dependant child under 15 years old (or under 17 if registered with special educational needs) you can also receive Parental Support. This is a grant of £2,000 per academic year or a pro rata amount for part-time students.
- If you paid for any excess travel or accommodation costs on a placement, you can claim money back through Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses.
If you’re experiencing unexpected financial hardship, you may be able to claim up to £3,000 through the Exceptional Support Fund.
In addition to traditional undergraduate and postgraduate pre-registration routes, there are additional routes into learning disability nursing in England, such as nurse degree apprenticeships and nursing associate apprenticeships. These offer “Earn and Learn” opportunities where you can gain this qualification through a role in paid employment.
Where in England can you study learning disability nursing?
Undergraduate BSc/BN (either standalone, dual-award or with a foundation year option) – typically 3 years, full-time.
North East
Undergraduate
- Northumbria University — Learning Disability Nursing BSc (Hons)
- Teesside University — BSc Learning Disability Nursing
Postgraduate
- Teesside University — Pre‑registration Learning Disabilities Nursing MSc
North West
Undergraduate
- University of Central Lancashire — Learning Disability Nursing Degree
- University of Chester — Learning Disability Nursing BN (Hons)
- University of Cumbria — BSc (Hons) Learning Disabilities Nursing
- Edge Hill University — BSc (Hons) Nursing (Learning Disabilities)
- University of Hull — BSc (Hons) Learning Disability Nursing
Postgraduate
- Edge Hill University — MSc Nursing (Learning Disabilities)
Yorkshire and the Humber
Undergraduate
- University of Huddersfield — Nursing (Learning Disability) BSc (Hons)
- University of Hull — BSc (Hons) Learning Disability Nursing
- Leeds Trinity University — Nursing (Learning Disabilities)
- Sheffield Hallam University — BSc (Hons) Nursing (Learning Disability) and Social Work
East Midlands
Undergraduate
- De Montfort University (Leicester) — Learning Disability Nursing with NMC Registration BSc (Hons)
- University of Derby — Nursing (Learning Disabilities) BSc (Hons)
- University of Northampton — Learning Disability Nursing Degree BSc (Hons)
- Nottingham Trent University — Nursing (Learning Disabilities) BSc (Hons)
Postgraduate
- Nottingham Trent University — Nursing (Learning Disabilities) MSc (Pre‑registration)
West Midlands
Undergraduate
- Birmingham City University — Nursing (Learning Disability) BSc (Hons) (2025/26 Entry)
- Coventry University — BSc (Hons) Learning Disabilities Nursing
- University of Wolverhampton — BNurs (Hons) Learning Disability Nursing
Postgraduate
- Coventry University — MSc Learning Disabilities Nursing (Pre‑registration)
East of England
Undergraduate
- University of Hertfordshire — BSc (Hons) Nursing (Learning Disabilities)
Postgraduate
- University of Hertfordshire — MSc Nursing (Learning Disabilities) (Pre‑registration)
London
Undergraduate
- Kingston University — Learning Disabilities Nursing BSc (Hons)
- London South Bank University — Learning Disability Nursing
- University of West London — BSc Learning Disabilities Nursing
Postgraduate
- London South Bank University — Learning Disability Nursing (Pre‑registration MSc)
- University of West London — MSc Learning Disabilities Nursing (Blended Learning)
South West
Undergraduate
- UWE Bristol — Nursing (Learning Disabilities) BSc (Hons)
- University of Gloucestershire — Nursing (Learning Disabilities) BSc (Hons)
South East / National (Distance Learning)
Undergraduate
- Open University — BSc (Hons) Nursing (Learning Disabilities) (R39) (Distance learning with practice placement partners; headquartered in Milton Keynes in the South East, but delivered across England.)
Some universities offer more than one intake per year, for example a September and January, whereas some may offer just one. It is also important to think about clearing which happens each year between July and October. See information about Clearing. You can apply for a course using Clearing if you’re not already holding an offer from a university or college, and the course still has places.
Wales
In Wales, the tuition fees of nursing degrees are fully funded through the NHS Bursary. Information about eligibility and how to apply can be found at Student Awards Services.
You may also be eligible for a means-tested maintenance grant.
Where in Wales you can study learning disability nursing?
Scotland
In Scotland the tuition fees are of nursing degrees are fully funded, and a substantial non-means tested bursary is provided by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS), visit Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery - SAAS - Funding.
Where is Scotland can you study learning disability nursing?
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, you can find details of how nurse training is funded, visit Professional Nursing Learning Disabilities Nursing.
Where in Norther Ireland can you study learning disability nursing?
If you are aged between 16 and 25, you can apply to become an RCN Nursing Cadet.
Although it will help you get onto a learning disability nursing degree if you have relevant clinical experience, this isn’t necessarily always essential.
To help you pass your interview for your learning disability nursing degree, it may help if you can demonstrate caring in any setting, including customer care. It will also help if you can demonstrate working as part of a team in any setting, and an ability to work under pressure.
- Watch videos from four learning disability nurses.
- Read this upbeat blog post from Carrie Thomas, a learning disability nurse.
- Learn from John-Marc Comperat about his job satisfaction as a community learning disability nurse (PDF).
- Find out about Anna’s career in learning disability nursing.
- Read about Richard’s role which combines mental health and learning disability nursing.
- Discover why Jayne loves her role as a learning disability staff nurse (PDF).
- Learning Disability Consultant Nurse, Paula Hopes, gives tips on Getting into nursing.
You can find out more about nursing in general:
England
- NHS Health Careers. Learning Disability Nurse
Wales
- Health Education and Improvement Wales. Nursing case studies and blogs
- Health Education and Improvement Wales. Careersville
Scotland
- NHSScotland Careers. How to become a learning disability nurse
Learning Disability Nursing videos
- Bangor University. Learning Disability Nursing
- Learning Disability Nurse. Learning disability nursing films
- Leeds and York PFT. Why learning disability nursing?
- NHS Health Careers. Discover learning disability nursing
- NHS Health Education England. Learning Disability Nursing
- Queens University Belfast. Learning Difficulty Nursing
- University of Huddersfield. What is Learning Disability Nursing?
- University of Wolverhampton. What is Learning Disability Nursing?
- Western Health and Social Care Trust. Learning Disability Nursing careers
