LE5001 - Capability, Empowerment and Capacity in Learning Disability Nursing

What will I learn on this module?

This module continues your journey in becoming a learning disability nurse and will build on the concepts from year one. You will develop greater confidence and autonomy in the context of caring for people with a learning disability, whilst enhancing your skills and knowledge. This module will support you to further examine ethics, values and societal perceptions.

The philosophy of person centred care will form the basis of this module, allowing you to explore a range of contexts for safe care delivery. You will be given the opportunity to explore the experiences and challenges of people with a learning disability and their families; at key points in their lives.

You will explore the concepts of assessment, planning and evaluation of care in relation to the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and consider the safeguards involved in the protection of vulnerable people. You will also be supported to develop your knowledge on contemporary public health issues and the implications effecting the learning disability population. This module also offers an opportunity for you to examine your personal beliefs and values, whilst developing skills to empower others.

Topics you will cover include:
Prenatal diagnosis and diagnostic assessment, including non-invasive testing.
Child development.
Sexuality, sexual health and personal relationships.
Gender identity.
Deprivation of Liberty (DOL’s) and best interest principles.
Introduction to leadership, courage and professional challenges.
Skills for assessment including capacity and capability will be a core theme.

How will I learn on this module?

You will learn through electures, seminars, workshops, skill rehearsal, directed, independent and group learning. The strategies adopted during seminars and workshops will include presentations of your own work and that of your peer group, enquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, debates, case studies, case histories and group work. Members of the module team will facilitate the seminars and workshops.

Preparing to attend seminars and workshops will also assist your learning. This preparatory work will be achieved by engaging in Independent Study. The materials will include interactive learning packages, workbooks and media outputs. The Module Team will provide advice on how and when to engage in your Tutor Guided Independent Study.

Some content for this module will be delivered via a ‘flipped classroom’ learning approach, (a mix of e-lectures, seminars and practicals), e-Lectures cover theories and concepts and can be accessed as many times as you need, via Blackboard Ultra.
The co-requisite practice and skills modules (NS524 and NS0525) will help you to link the underpinning theories and concepts covered in this module, to learning disability practice. This module also maps directly with your practice learning activities and academic enquiry skills; to help you learn how to access research in learning disability practice.

On this module you will also learn by reading, this is vital for your academic and clinical development. Reading will provide you with technical information to enhance the evidence base for your clinical practice. Reading is also necessary for you to appraise the merits of a variety of writing styles; adopting the strongest and best of the characteristics in your own work to demonstrate progression in your scholarship.

You will be engaging in Student Independent Learning. You will be able to choose what you would like to study in more detail. You can spend time preparing for your module assessment and /or generating evidence for your clinical practice placement.

You will benefit from feed-forward feedback, where your assessment becomes part of your learning and enables you to understand what you do well and what you need to develop to become a successful learning disability nurse. There is a summative assessment and the feedback you receive will also increase your learning and understanding.

How will I be supported academically on this module?

You will be supported by a dedicated team of academics who are also experienced Registered Learning Disability Nurses. The module team also consist of people with a learning disability/carers and specialist and non- learning disability specialist practitioners, all of whom will support your learning and development. Support and guidance is given through clear directed learning activities, e-lectures, small group seminars and workshops. All support will be in line with any Disabled Student Services Report (DSSR) recommendations

Your personal tutor and the module team offer further support and can be contacted via telephone, email, or in person – contact details are available via Blackboard Ultra.

The electronic media (e.g. elp/twitter) will support your learning including opportunity for group learning, peer support and discussions with a wider audience on contemporary practice issues.

You can access the 24 hour IT Helpline, Student Support and Wellbeing Services, Skills Plus to support your academic work and the Ask4Help Service for other enquiries. You will also have access to the full range of student administration and support services offered by Northumbria University which includes library and learning support outlined fully in the programme handbook. Additionally relevant materials, including the electronic reading list and other aids will be available via blackboard ultra/library services to enhance and support your learning.

Technology enhanced learning will facilitate your learning and enable flexibility and independence as you progress through the module; Blackboard Ultra will enable you to access general module information, review all taught content remotely and will host interactive e-learning materials that support taught sessions.
A seminar will also be facilitated to enable a group discussion focussing on the module assessment task, this will enable you to progress on to your next set of learning activities

What will I be expected to read on this module?

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

What will I be expected to achieve?

Knowledge & Understanding:

1. Understand and utilise fundamental concepts and principles underpinning professional, safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led, person centred, nursing care.
2. Demonstrate a fundamental awareness of the contemporary health, social care and public health drivers used to inform nursing care in relation to people with specific and co-morbid conditions.
.
Intellectual / Professional Skills & Abilities:

3. Critical appraisal of the evidence base used for practice with people with specific and co-morbid conditions.
4. Examine the legal frameworks that support and inform safe care delivery when working with vulnerable populations.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

5. Reflect on personal values, in order to challenge societal perceptions and implement anti-discriminatory practice.

How will I be assessed?

Formative assessment:
Working in small peer groups you will find a health related poster to analyse and develop ideas about the elements needed to make a good poster, in preparation for your summative assessment. Verbal feedback will be provided through a peer and academic led debrief.
(MLO’s 1-5)

Summative Assessment:
The summative assessment on this module will consist of a 1000 word e-poster to enable you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of co-morbidities and the complexities of addressing the associated nursing and social care needs of the individual.
The e-poster will be designed on a case study of your choice. Submission and feedback will be provided via Blackboard Ultra.
(MLO’s 1-5)

Pre-requisite(s)

Successful completion of the following modules:
NS0423: Practice Module 1: Becoming a safe, caring professional in Learning Disability Nursing
LE400

Co-requisite(s)

NS0524: Practice Module 2: Developing shared decision making in Learning Disability Nursing.
NS0525: Nursing Skills 3: Developing evidence based ski

Module abstract

This module will support you on your journey to becoming a Registered Learning Disability Nurse. The module will build on the concepts covered in Year 1 with a particular focus on safe care delivery utilising the principles of person centred care.
As a Learning Disability nurse you are required to offer effective support to people with a learning disability, some of whom have specific needs and health conditions and others may lack the capacity required to make decisions about aspects of their lives. This module with guide you to examine and explore the implications of liberty, as well as the impact on health and quality of life issues. Utilising group work and reflective frameworks, learners will also be given the opportunity to understand the role of the learning disability nurse in executing safe care practices

The module further enhances your scholarship by discussing traditional and contemporary (collaborative) research designs. In completing the module, you will have engaged in a research rich learning environment. The assessment is designed to facilitate your study skills, exploring the application of evidence based practice in the field of learning disability nursing, whilst encouraging analysis, creativity and consolidation of your academic skills.

Course info

UCAS Code B741

Credits 20

Level of Study Undergraduate

Mode of Study 3 years Full Time

Department Nursing, Midwifery & Health

Location Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University

City Newcastle

Start September 2025

Fee Information

Module Information

All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

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