Nursing (Mental Health)

Our BSc (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health) course at NTU Mansfield prepares you to make a positive impact on individuals, families, and communities. We embed the core NHS values of care, compassion, competence, communication, courage, and commitment throughout our teaching. Combining expert teaching, practical experience, and a supportive learning environment, this course helps you build the skills and confidence needed for a rewarding career in mental health care.

You’ll study key topics such as the mental health conditions you will encounter as a nurse, recovery-focused therapeutic approaches, and modern healthcare practices while developing your communication and leadership skills. Our hands-on learning includes access to state-of-the-art facilities and placements in real healthcare settings, providing you with a wide range of valuable practical experiences. With guidance from experienced professionals at NTU and in practice, as well as experts by experience, you’ll be well-prepared to tackle the challenges of a mental health nursing career.

By the time you graduate, you will be fully prepared to register as a Mental Health Nurse, ready to deliver evidence-based care across a variety of healthcare settings. The course's strong emphasis on professionalism and clinical skills ensures you are well-equipped to make a positive impact in the nursing profession.

We also offer BSc (Hons) Nursing - Adult at our Mansfield site.

Why study mental health nursing at NTU Mansfield?

• You'll taught by a dynamic team of lecturers who are also qualified nurses.

• Our amazing facilities in the Centre for Health and Allied Professions allow you to learn effectively and become part of the NTU Mansfield Nursing community.

• Service users and carers are involved in the development of our curriculum and take part in face-to-face sessions.

• The course is delivered 50% at University, and 50% in a wide range of clinical practice areas.

Year One Core Modules

Introduction to Nursing Practice

This module introduces you to the values and responsibilities of mental health nursing, as set out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. You’ll cover a wide range of key foundational areas – from professional accountability to reflective practice and emotional intelligence. You’ll also create your own professional portfolio, whilst getting to grips with the basics of academic writing and research. This module is the perfect introduction to your studies in person-centred mental health care.

Integrative Nursing Practice

On this module, you’ll build on your general healthcare knowledge with learning that’s specific to mental health nursing. You’ll focus on the biological, psychological and social processes that maintain people’s health, as you learn from experts who’ve worked throughout the sector. You’ll also study body systems to help you understand physiology and development. This module gives some valuable context and background to the key role nurses play in alleviating mental health problems. It will help you to understand the various drivers of mental health problems.

Foundations of Applied Nursing Practice

This module sharpens your therapeutic nursing skills – you’ll continue to work on your own reflective practice as you build up your independence and confidence. Through a range of practical sessions and workshops, you’ll learn how to deliver fundamental nursing care, whilst developing your communication skills.

Year Two Core Modules

Evidence in Nursing Practice

To begin your second-year studies, we’ll be exploring research methods and evidence-based practice in greater detail. This will help you to understand how evidence – alongside clinical expertise – drives quality in mental health nursing care and service development.

Biopsychosocial Approaches in Nursing Practice

This module explores a number of social and psychological models, helping you to understand a wide range of perspectives on the development of mental distress in different populations. You will also study anatomy, physiology and body systems, as well as the effect of medications on the body.

Applied Nursing Practice in Complex Care

You’ll round off your second-year studies with a deeper look at delivering care to individuals with complex needs – as well as their families. To do this, you’ll explore a range of therapeutic skills within the classroom, our simulation environment, and real-world practice settings. Through this, you’ll develop your understanding of the kinds of interventions – such as psychological therapeutic techniques – that can improve service users’ health.

Year Three Core Modules

Innovating and Improving Healthcare Practice

This module looks at the strategies that help mental health nurses to maintain and improve quality in healthcare – including a focus on managing change within the healthcare setting. You’ll also develop your knowledge of evidence-based nursing practice to a deeper level: with the support of our academic team, you’ll undertake an independent written project to generate your own recommendations for healthcare practice education or research.

Leadership in Nursing

The module examines the role and responsibilities of registered mental health nurses as leaders in healthcare, and mangers of interprofessional teams. You’ll examine the key concepts that underpin successful leadership, drawing on the reflective skills you’ve developed throughout the course to develop your own leadership style. This will prepare you effectively for the role of Practice Supervisor, following your qualification.

Leading and Managing Applied Nursing Care

This final module consolidates everything you’ve learned throughout the course – allying the hands-on experience you’ve developed on placement to the theoretical and academic skills you’ve acquired in the classroom. With this approach, you’ll be fully prepared to practice as a registered mental health nurse.

This is a multi-disciplinary programme, and you’ll be assessed through a range of methods and activities. These include:

OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations) – practical demonstrations of your hands-on nursing skills in a simulated environment
observations by Practice Educators of your competency in practice
an ePortfolio (PebblePad)
case studies
reflective accounts
presentations
essays
multiple-choice and short-answer exams
simulated multi-disciplinary meetings
your own independent nursing project

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Nursing and Midwifery Council