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Mental Health Nursing

Entry requirements


GCSE/National 4/National 5

In addition, you will require five GCSEs including Maths, English and Science at Grade C/4 or above (or a suitable equivalent).

UCAS Tariff

112-136

A typical offer will require a UCAS Tariff score between 112-136 points; or an Access to Nursing qualification (minimum of 30 Level 3 credits at Distinction, 12 at Merit, and 3 at Pass). Those whom English is not their first language must achieve a minimum score of 7.0 overall or equivalent for the International English Language Test Score (IELTS).

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

Perform an audition

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Mental health nursing

Embrace the opportunity to be an ambassador for mental health with our BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing programme. This course not only allows you to become a vital part of a compassionate healthcare team providing physical and mental health care, but also positions you at the forefront of mental health advocacy and development in society and healthcare systems.

As a student, you will acquire the expertise to offer the highest standard of person-centric care, guiding individuals through their most challenging moments and significantly enhancing their quality of life. Upon completing this degree, you will be qualified to register with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, beginning a distinguished career as a registered mental health nurse.

Mental health is a critical element of overall wellbeing; mental health challenges and problems deeply affect individuals and communities. This essential aspect of health is now receiving the recognition and understanding it merits, leading to more effective recognition of mental ill health, leading to improved diagnosis and treatment strategies. Our society depends on the dedication of professionals who offer empathetic and expert care to those facing mental health challenges.

As a Mental Health Nurse, you'll be equipped to meet the growing need for professionals who can navigate the intricate landscape of mental health care. You'll learn how to work in diverse settings, from hospitals and community health centres to schools and private care environments, providing essential support to people of all ages and across all walks of life. In this role, you will be instrumental in advancing mental healthcare and providing the best treatment options available. Join us in making a profound and lasting impact in the field of mental health.

This course offers a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical experience. You'll explore the latest research and treatment approaches in mental health, while hands-on clinical placements will provide you with real-world experience under the guidance of experienced professionals. This combination ensures that you graduate not only with knowledge but with the confidence and competence to make a real difference.

Furthermore, studying Mental Health Nursing opens doors to a range of career opportunities. From clinical practice to research, policy-making, and advocacy, the skills you gain will be transferable across various roles, empowering you to shape your career in a way that aligns with your passions and goals.

To support your studies, the UK Government are continuing to provide mental health nursing students with a payment of at least £5,000 a year which will not need to be paid back. Find out more about the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Buckinghamshire New University has a strong reputation for delivering high-quality, innovative, and contemporary nursing training. Our mental health nursing degree programme integrates academic study alongside practice-based learning. It is underpinned by a strong collaboration between the University, service users (experts by experience) and our NHS practice partners, in response to both Nursing & Midwifery Council policy and regulatory developments. We’ll help you to gain the knowledge and skills you need for your future career in mental health nursing.

Led by a dedicated teaching team of professional nurses and educators, you’ll have access to their wealth of clinical expertise and research activity. This will allow you to benefit from their experiences, insights and perspectives to enhance your learning.

Throughout your university mental health nursing course we focus on your personal and professional development, giving you the option to personalise your course with a choice of option modules. Eligible students will also have the opportunity to undertake an elective learning experience of their choice.

BNU works closely with a range of practice partners across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and London.

Modules

**Year one**
**Core**
Introduction to Professional Practice
Fundamental Skills for Nursing
Essential Anatomy and Physiology for Healthcare
Pharmacology and Numeracy in Nursing
Understanding Health, Illness Disability and Diversity Across the Lifespan
Becoming a Mental Health Nurse
Beginning Practice

**Year two**
**Core**
Approaches to Research Methods, Appraisal and Application in Nursing
The Professional Context of Nursing
Understanding Mental Health Conditions
Assessing Needs and Planning Care for Mental Health Nursing
Developing Competence in Mental Health Nursing
Progressing in Practice

**Optional**
Socio-cultural Aspects of Health
Sexual Health
Infant Feeding
Elective Placement

**Year three**
**Core**
Medicines Management
Leading and Managing Care
Coordinating Complex Care in Mental Health Nursing
Advanced Nursing Practice Level 6
Preparing for Registration in Mental Health Nursing
Attaining Competence in Practice

Assessment methods

We include assessments which reflect real life nursing practices and, across the three years, you will be assessed through a number of means, such as:

reflective assignment
presentations
exams
academic poster development
assignments
literature review
oral exams.

You are also required to complete the knowledge skills and behaviours included in the Practice Assessment Document in each year of practice.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,750
per year
International
£16,750
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Buckinghamshire New University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships. For more information, please visit bnu.ac.uk/bursaries

The Uni


Course location:

Uxbridge Campus

Department:

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

88%
Mental health nursing

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Mental health nursing

Teaching and learning

86%
Staff make the subject interesting
93%
Staff are good at explaining things
86%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
95%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

85%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
85%
Course specific equipment and facilities
75%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

99%
UK students
1%
International students
36%
Male students
64%
Female students
85%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
D
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Mental health nursing

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£24,000
high
Average annual salary
98%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

87%
Nursing and midwifery professionals
4%
Caring personal services
3%
Teaching and educational professionals

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Mental health nursing

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£32k

£32k

£31k

£31k

£34k

£34k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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