Annual Salary
£30,000 to £45,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Learning disability nurses take care of the social, psychological and physical health needs of people with a learning disability.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
3.8% more Learning disability nurse jobs in 2027.
In this role you could:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in the community, at an adult care home, at a client's home or in an NHS or private hospital.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through a university course or an apprenticeship.
You can do a degree in learning disability nursing approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. You might be able to study another area of nursing alongside learning disability nursing on some degree courses.
You might be able to join the second year of a nursing degree if you already have a degree in:
Full-time courses usually take 3 years.
You might also be able to get a postgraduate qualification if you already have a relevant degree.
Integrated practice degree
You could qualify as a learning disabilities nurse and a social worker through an integrated practice degree. You'll need to check that the course is recognised by the relevant professional bodies for both roles. You can get advice on this from the course provider.
You'll usually need:
You might be able to apply for a Registered Nurse Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship, if you work in a healthcare setting like a hospital.
The degree apprenticeship takes around 4 years and is a mix of academic study and on-the-job training.
You'll need the support of your employer to do a degree apprenticeship.
To do this apprenticeship, you'll need:
You'll find it useful to get some practical experience before you apply for nurse training.
You could:
You'll need to:
You'll be expected to understand how the NHS values apply in your work when applying for a course or apprenticeship.
You can find out more about becoming a learning disability nurse from the Nursing and Midwifery Council and Health Careers.
With experience you could:lead a team of nurses or manage a learning disability unit; become a community matron, director of nursing or train to become a health visitor; become an advanced nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist or nurse consultant if you have a postgraduate qualification; move into teaching or research
You'll need: