Your web browser is outdated and may be insecure

The RCN recommends using an updated browser such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome

RCN Foundation 15th Anniversary logo featuring a large star with the number 15 inside, smaller stars surrounding it, and the tagline '15 years of strengthening nursing and midwifery and advancing care'. Make a Donation

Developing equitable access to practice learning experiences for undergraduate learning disability nursing students

Edinburgh Napier University have been awarded funding to undertake the project titled: Developing equitable access to practice learning experiences for undergraduate learning disability nursing students, including developing new and non-traditional practice placement settings that reflect emerging roles of learning disability nursing. 

The project aims to understand and address these challenges and enhance the student Learning Disability Nurse’s (LDN) learning experience, improving access to a wider range of placements learning experiences in new and non-traditional practice placement settings. 

By increasing the breadth of learning experiences to better prepare Learning Disability Nurse students for the emerging roles Registered Nurses for Learning Disability (RNLDs) undertake, this will ultimately improve the health and well-being of people with a learning disability, their families and carers.  

Objectives:

  • To understand the barriers and facilitators to effective practice learning environments that support or could support learning disability nursing practice education 
  • To understand the lived experiences of people with learning disabilities within diverse health and social environments and consider how enhancements to learning disability nursing practice education can be informed by these experiences
  • To develop a model of practice learning that could be applied to a range of health and social care environments to; increase capacity in existing practice learning environments and enable the development of new and non-traditional practice learning environments

The project will be undertaken in 3 stages

  1. A literature review exploring the current landscape of practice learning in nursing as it relates to providing care for people with learning disabilities
  2. Qualitative investigation exploring the needs of people with learning disabilities in health and social care settings
  3. Qualitative investigation to explore practice learning experience for student learning disability nurses

The study has now begun and hopes to be complete by December 2026.