Course Overview

The University of Cumbria and your NHS Health Trust are offering secondments to Registered Nurses who wish to advance their academic knowledge and professional skills to expert specialist level within Community Learning Disability Nursing.

The degree programme aims to enable Registered Nurses to attain the competency and expertise as Specialist Practitioners defined by the NMC 2001 Standards for Specialist Education and Practice. Emphasis is placed upon the development of critical and analytical skills with a reflective approach to professional practice.

The CSP Programme has been planned and developed in conjunction with Managers, Professional Educational Facilitators, Practice Teachers and previous students. 
Features of the programme:

• The programme is 50% theory and 50% practice within Community Learning Disability Nursing under the supervision of a qualified Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor

• The programme can be studied full time over 52 weeks or part time over 104 weeks / Distance Learning

• The programme can be studied at BSc (Hons) if you hold a Diploma or at Post-Graduate Diploma if you hold a degree (1st or 2:1 classification) and wants to advance to level 7 (Master’s level)

• Successful students will have a specialist practitioner qualification recorded with the NMC

Staff highly regarded by students and practice placement partners for our teaching in this area, the University of Cumbria has a strong reputation for its Community Learning Disability Nursing training. You will work with skilled academics who have held senior roles in CLDN.

Successful students have typically progressed their career into Community Learning Disability Nursing Sister/Charge Nurse; Team Leader; Clinical Service Manager with some students choosing to develop their careers within other NHS specialist roles. 

General Eligibility

• Each candidate will have to meet the selection criteria to apply:

  • Be registered with the NMC as a Registered Nurse - Learning Disabilities

  • Have at least 120 credits at level 5 (Project 2000 students awarded Diploma which is 120 level 5 credits)

  • Preferable recent study at level 5 or 6

  • Be seconded from a Health Trust or be sponsored if applying externally 

Part Time Work Details

20 Hours of Work permit weekly for international students.

Language Requirement

• At least 7.0 in the listening and reading, writing and speaking sections and at least an overall score of 7.0 out of a possible 9.