Since the course began, I have had the opportunity to follow my ambition of helping vulnerable people and make a true difference to their lives. It's incredibly rewarding - the best decision I have ever made!
Francesca

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I would like to start

I would like to study

Duration:

3 years

UCAS code:

B760

Location(s):

Canterbury, Medway

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Important information.

Changes to previously published information

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Overview

Become a mental health nurse, a crucial role in supporting people who are experiencing or recovering from a range of mental health problems.

As a mental health nurse, each day brings new challenges and experiences. Our course will help you to develop the skills you need to make a difference to the lives of people in mental distress and offer eligibility for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

As part of your studies, you'll undertake practice placements and apply your learning in a variety of settings including hospitals, care homes and in the community. Each of the modules has a theme such as the recognition, assessment, care planning and interventions for mental illnesses.

Why Study Mental Health Nursing?

Mental health nursing is a diverse profession that involves working with and supporting people experiencing a range of mental health and psychological problems in different settings.

As well as being immensely rewarding, mental health nursing offers a range of career development and education options and the opportunity to specialise.

Extra £5,000 funding a year for health students

Brand new facility opening in 2021

Entry requirements

GCSE English language and mathematics grades A-C / 4-9 or equivalent. Functional Skills Level 2 accepted.

A typical offer would be BBC at A2 Level, or equivalent

Overseas Students - all must attend for interview (no Skype). If English is not your first language you require IELTS overall score of 7, with scores of at least 7 in reading, listening and speaking, and at least 6.5 in writing.

Offers of a place can only be made after a successful interview, and are subject to a satisfactory reference, health clearance and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

More information about entry requirements.

112

UCAS Points

All about the course

As a mental health nurse, you'll require a wide range of both theoretical and clinical knowledge to enable you to practice safely and effectively. In order to achieve this, you'll undertake five modules per year: a practice module; a clinical supervision module and three mental health nursing modules.

You'll explore areas including:

mental illness and mental health
biopsychosocial therapeutic interventions
psychothereapeutic and systemic approaches
trauma informed practice
assessment and planning care
service users’ and carers perspectives on care
evidence-based practice
human biology, pathology, and psychopharmacology
reflective practice and clinical supervision
extensive and advanced physical clinical skills.

Practice placements are an integral part of the course and you'll spend 50% of your time studying in University and a further 50% of your time in a wide variety of acute, recovery and specialist placements, in hospital, community and forensic settings.

During your practice placements, you'll work with children, adolescents, adults and older people with mental health and psychological problems, as well as people with learning disabilities.

Theoretical modules will cover a variety of relevant subjects including law and ethics, professional issues, empathy, service users' experience of mental illness and working with people with learning disability, mental health and psychological problems.

In the final year of the course, you'll cover psychodynamic and systemic approaches to mental health and will learn about specialist services and care.

Module information

Please note that the list of optional modules and their availability may be subject to change. We continually review and where appropriate, revise the range of modules on offer to reflect changes in the subject and ensure the best student experience. Modules will vary when studied in combination with another subject.

Core/optional modules

How you’ll learn

The academic element of the course is delivered by lecturers and senior lecturers who are all mental health nurses with a variety of different specialist backgrounds.

In practice areas, you're supported by experienced mental health nurses who have had additional training in supporting and assessing students in practice areas.

The course is designed so that you're encouraged to integrate the learning in University with learning in the placement areas. The modules within each year are designed to maximise this process and ensure that by the end of each year, you're ready to move on to the next step in the journey towards qualification as a mental health nurse.

Each academic module consists of 50 hours of academic direction and 150 hours of independent study. Teaching is delivered using a problem based and student-led learning approach and incorporating the flipped classroom.

Problem-based learning involves setting a series of questions or triggers to guide you towards information. You'll be set tasks either individually, or in groups, and will discuss your findings with your module lecturer in seminar groups. This approach encourages independence and will develop your skills of enquiry.

A flipped classroom approach involves you being provided with learning resources to use at any time outside of the classroom, this material will include such resources as narrated power points, podcasts, online books and articles and short tests and quizzes. You will also have full access to our virtual learning environment (VLE) containing a wide range of learning resources.

There will be 750 hours of practice based learning per year, which will include a broad range of placements and some simulated practice. Whilst in practice, you'll be expected to work the shift pattern used by your placement area which may involve long days, early or late shifts and some night duty. You'll be allocated a practice supervisor, who is a suitably qualified Registered Nurse and who will organise your learning experience and contribute to the assessment of your practice. You'll also have the opportunity to work closely with other professionals involved the care of your patients and gain an understanding of their roles.

To support your development and help you reflect on your practice and learning, you'll participate in facilitated clinical supervision throughout the course.

During the second and third year, you'll have the opportunity to attend two semi-elective placements enabling you to spend time at a specialist placements outside of those routinely allocated.

All courses are informed by the University’s Learning and Teaching Strategy 2015-2022.

You'll be expected to carry out independent learning while completing academic modules and while on placement. This may be undertaken individually or within small groups, and will include problem-solving activities.

Academic staff will provide guidance for your independent learning through the virtual learning environment.

You will study contemporary theory and acquire techniques and a reflexive approach that prioritise the voice and needs of people we work alongside.
Peter WilsonProgramme Director, Mental Health Nursing

How you’ll be assessed

You'll undertake four 20 credit modules and 1 practice module worth 40 credits each year and you'll be assessed in a variety of ways including written assignments, production of online web page, examinations, case presentations and a mini dissertation proposal.

Practice is assessed each year using the Pan London Practice Assessment Document, which is a validated assessment tool currently used by several universities across the country.

Your future career

On successful completion of the course, you'll be eligible to apply for registration with the NMC.

There are a wide range of roles that registered mental health nurses can pursue, in services which specialise in child and adolescent, adult and older persons mental health. You can focus on crisis management, recovery, rehabilitation, liaison psychiatry, psychosis, personality disorder forensic mental health, court liaison, and street triage, substance misuse and eating disorders.

Other career opportunities could involve clinical leadership, management, education or research. Additionally, there are opportunities within our Faculty of Health and Wellbeing to progress onto postgraduate study, MSc or PhD studies or commence specialist training as psychotherapists.

Fees

The 2020/21 annual tuition fees for this course are:

	UK / EU	Overseas
Full-time	£9,250	£13,000

Tuition fees for all courses are payable on an annual basis, except where stated.

Please read the 2020/21 Tuition Fee Statement for further information regarding 2020/21 tuition fees and year on year fee increases.

Read advice about funding your degree
See information about the financial support available for undergraduate studies
If you would like information about paying your fees, please contact accounts.receivable@canterbury.ac.uk
For specific fee queries, please contact fees@canterbury.ac.uk

Further entry requirements

When we select applicants for interview we take several factors into account and one of the main ones is that you are able to demonstrate a commitment to and understanding of nursing.

The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England, and sets out rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled. The values are applicable across all fields of health and social care, including mental health nursing, and accord with such professional guidance as the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code (NMC 2015), The Principles of Nursing Practice (RCN 2012) and the government strategy No Health without Mental Health (HMG 2011). It is therefore essential we recruit students who are able to show that they have the capacity to develop these values. Find out more about Values Based Recruitment.

The personal statement is very important and you must say why you want to become a nurse and demonstrate your commitment to and understanding of the profession. You need to include full details of any relevant care work carried out, such as the nature of the work you have completed and the interaction you have undertaken with the patients. Also describe any observational shadowing work you have done with reference to the qualified nurses who are employed at the home or hospital. Relevant experience can also be obtained through volunteer placements, such as those offered by Volunteering Matters. Visit volunteeringmatters.org.uk for information.

We are looking for applicants who can:

demonstrate values commensurate with the profession
communicate clearly in spoken and written standard English
convey enthusiasm about their chosen profession and react appropriately to the group discussion
explain why they want to become a nurse and be able to explain and give evidence that they understand the role of the nurse.
show that they have an appropriate educational background.

Offers of a place can only be made after a successful interview, and are subject to a satisfactory reference, health clearance and disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Professional accreditation

This Mental Health Nursing course is subject to a conjoint approval between the University and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Upon approval, it is further subject to monitoring processes by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

To be eligible to apply for registration with the relevant statutory regulatory body you must demonstrate good health and good character throughout your studies and on completion. Applications for professional registration will be subject to satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and Occupational Health clearance. You will be assessed annually in practice against the Nursing and Midwifery Council proficiencies and must pass this assessment.

In preparation for registration, the Programme Director must be satisfied that you meet the relevant statutory regulatory body fitness to practise criteria. You will be required to sign an annual declaration of ongoing fitness to practise at regular intervals during the course. The Faculty of Health and Wellbeing has a Fitness to Practise policy and procedures which may be instigated should you demonstrate behaviour or conduct that falls short of that expected by the University and/or statutory regulatory body. For more details, visit www.canterbury.ac.uk/policies-procedures.

Industry links

We work in close collaboration with Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust and many other local health and social care providers.

Professional Foundation Year

We will consider your application for the main three-year professional programme. However, applicants may also be considered for a four-year option – i.e. the Health and Social Care Professional Programme with Foundation Year. The decision about your suitability will be made as part of the admissions process and if you are chosen to be interviewed for the Foundation Year option, this will be clearly stated in your Interview Offer Letter. Applications cannot be made directly to the Foundation Year and places are limited.

Find out more about the Professional Foundation Year

Please note the Professional Foundation Year is now closed for September 2020 entry.

Apply now