Mental Health nurses have a vital and challenging role in establishing  therapeutic relationships with individuals who experience mental health problems. Including:

• Providing support to families, relatives and carers
• Responding to changing needs
• Promoting mental and physical health recovery and general wellbeing

This highly specialised branch of nursing focuses on caring and supporting individuals of all age groups suffering from mental problems or mental distress in different care settings including:

• Individuals’ Homes
• Inpatient
• Outpatient
• General hospitals
• Community and rehabilitation units

You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team including GPs psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, arts therapists and healthcare assistants.

What will I study?

Your time will be split equally (50/50) between classroom based learning and practical placements. You will have the opportunity to link practical experience to theoretical learning and vice versa.

During your placements you will undertake:

• Supervised practice - working with qualified nurses to develop clinical skills
• Training and education activities within the placement setting
• Skills development activities to ensure patients' needs are met

Your time at the University will be spent in:

• standard lectures
• seminars
• tutorials
• laboratories
• case studies
• individual and group projects

In your final year you will normally have the opportunity to hone your independent study and interpersonal skills by undertaking a major project or dissertation.

The course entitles you to apply for register as a mental health nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This opens up a range of fascinating and rewarding career options for both work and advancement in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, community practice, individuals’ homes and rehabilitation units. There are different mental health fields a registered nurse can work and some mental health nursing roles include; Staff Nurse, Community Mental Health Nurse, Crisis Nurse, Nurse Practitioners or Specialists, Modern Matrons and  Consultant Nurse. Some individuals advance to become senior managers, researchers and educators. Care, compassion and kindness are that center of safe, effective and personalised  care  and  which future careers are realistic options for an individual depends on their interests, level of education and experience.

Work placement

Practice placements are organised within neighbouring NHS Trusts in Hertfordshire and North London and in other settings including the private and voluntary sectors. There is the opportunity to learn with and from people in the community and in hospitals where mental health nursing is delivered. The placement experiences are wide and varied. An elective/alternative placement is offered at the end of the second year which gives you the opportunity to gain mental health experience elsewhere in the UK, abroad, or in specialised regional and national centres of excellence.

Professional Accreditations

Entitlement to apply to enter the professional register of the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Registered Nurse (Mental Health).