Nursing (Mental Health)

The Nursing and Midwifery Council introduced new national educational standards – Future Nurse Standards of Proficiency for registered Nurses in 2018. The curriculum from September 2021 onwards, is based on these standards for nurse education.

Mental health nurses play crucial roles in healthcare settings by restoring and promoting health, supporting patients and their families, and responding to the varied healthcare needs of individual patients or communities.

During this course – thanks to strong links with service providers across the region – we are able to offer a range of placement opportunities embedded within all three years of the course.

You will benefit from shared learning opportunities with students from the other fields of nursing practice, but will also engage in field of practice specific learning opportunities throughout the programme, to ensure that you develop mental health nursing field of practice identity, knowledge and skills.

Key features

• The programme is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and upon graduation of the programme, you will be eligible to register with the NMC.

• Graduates are eligible to apply for registration, and registered nurses can start on a salary of more than £25,655 (NHS pay scales 2020/21).

• Study in our purpose-built facilities which comprise clinical skills suites, a moving and handling area, and a cardiopulmonary resuscitation room– allowing you to apply theory to practice in a safe environment.

• Have an opportunity to gain valuable international experience as part of your studies with our DMU Global programme. Our students have taken part in healthcare programmes in Peru, improved the health of communities in India and examined the social and health inequalities faced by specific populations in the US.

• We have more than 50 years of teaching experience, enabling us to deliver high-quality professional education to our diverse studentship.

Uniform policy

All students will be required to adhere to a uniform policy when in practice, in which they must be bare below the elbow. This is non-negotiable as it is an infection prevention requirement to safeguard the health and safety of all students and service users.

FIRST YEAR:
Practice Experience 1
Transition into Higher Education
Foundations of Nursing Practise
Foundations of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology
Influences on Wellbeing
Foundations of Field of Practise

SECOND YEAR:
Practice Experience 2
Research and Evidence Based-Practice
Primary Care – Patient Journey 1
Acute Care – Patient Journey 2
Complex Care – Patient Journey 3

THIRD YEAR:
Practice Experience 3
Critical inquiry and research proposal
Leadership and Service Improvement
Managing Complexities in Nursing Practise
Consolidating Care and Professional Practise

Learning is supported by a strong system of personal tutors and teaching teams, clinical work placements and enthusiastic mentors. Teaching methods include: lectures, seminars, presentations, tutorials, enquiry-based problem solving and independent e-learning.

You will complete blocks of clinical placements 37.5 hours per week and blocks comprised of theory and independent learning hours up to an equivalent of 37.5 hours each week. Students in practice placements are allocated a mentor to help develop and support learning.

Practice is assessed through the completion of your practice portfolio, clinical skills log, submission of service user/ expert by experience feedback and undertaking the required number of hours in practice.

Theory is assessed through written assignments including as essays, reports, Critical incident analysis, blog (weblog), examinations, and culminating in your dissertation.