Analysis
6 April 2009 | Volume 12 | Number 3 LEARNING DISABILITY PRACTICE
n The University and College Admissions service handles all the
applications for degree and diploma level courses in the UK.
n It says that Nursing degrees are in the top five most popular
university courses this year, after applications increased by 15.8
per cent to 54,475 applicants.
n Nursing Diploma courses saw an increase of 15.1 per cent to
41,124 applicants, despite plans to move to degree-only training.
UCAS facts
ACCording to the University
and College Admissions Service
(UCAS) there was a 15 per
cent increase in the number of
applicants for nursing diploma
courses during the 2009/10
academic year. UCAS statistics
also show a 16 per cent rise in
the number of applications for
nursing degree courses.
the figures are not broken
down into branches, so it is
difficult to gauge whether
enthusiasm for learning
disability nursing courses
in particular has increased.
However, at the University
of northumbria, it certainly
seems that way; associate dean
Margaret rowe reports a 19 per
cent rise in applicant numbers.
She says this is because people
are seeking the job security
of public sector employment
during the credit crunch.
John turnbull, a nurse and
director of performance and
information at oxfordshire
Learning disability nHS trust,
says of the northumbrian
experience: `i suspect this is not
repeated across the country.
i know of two universities in
the south of England that have
struggled to attract applicants,
although another did well last
year by recruiting more than
the commissioned numbers.
it is probably too early to say
this year. of course the acid
test is whether everyone who
says they are going to turn up
actually does on the first day.'
Mixed data
Professor Bob gates, project
leader for learning disabilities
and workforce development
at nHS South Central, says:
`it would be difficult to
establish without robust data
whether this is a national trend
of applications going up for
the learning disability course.
i suspect they are not. i went
to one university recently and
they were struggling to fill
places. Even if applications are
up this might not translate into
real increases in numbers for
the branch as it is common
practice to "get in" on the Ld
branch and change over once
the programme has started.'
London South Bank
University has not yet seen any
change in applicant numbers.
it is one of a handful of
universities that runs a joint
social work and nursing degree
for learning disabilities and
typically attracts about 300
applications for 25 places.
Course director rachel Blaney
expects the credit crunch to
affect applicant numbers,
although this has not been
apparent so far. `i think more
people will do nursing courses
because they will realise that
the qualification allows them to
move around the country or
go abroad.'
Keeping students
Like many higher education
institutions, the University of
Leeds has experienced problems
hanging on to its learning
disability students. Sixteen
started the learning disability
diploma course in 2007, but
now only seven remain.
`We've lost ten, but gained
one from the year below,' said
Sarah rayner, a second-year
student on this course. `i think
four students were failed and
another three left for personal
reasons. And one went on
maternity leave.'
She believes that the
motivating force for students
is their enthusiasm for nursing,
and not merely a desire to get
into a secure career. `the driver
is that they want to work with
people with learning disabilities.'
She admits job security is
on her mind, however. `i don't
want to come out with nothing
� i've got my marriage and my
mortgage riding on it.'
tony Clapham, a final-year
learning disability nursing
student at Edinburgh napier
there are signs that more students are being trained in learning
disability. Christian duffin investigates what lies behind the figures
Student numbers may be rising
Although applications for course places
are up, this might not translate into real
changes for the branch
Blend

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