Mental Health Nursing with NMC registration BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

112 or DMM

Full entry requirements

UCAS code

B701

Institution code

D26

Duration

3 yrs full-time

Three years full-time (45 week year)

Fees

2025/26 UK tuition fees:
£9,535*

Additional costs

See all the key facts

Entry requirements

112 or DMM

Full entry requirements

UCAS code

B701

Institution code

D26

Duration

3 yrs full-time

Three years full-time (45 week year)

Fees

2025/26 UK tuition fees:
£9,535*

Additional costs

See all the key facts

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

Mental health nurses have a key role to play in healthcare by supporting and managing mental health, wellbeing and recovery. Mental health nurses work within diverse communities to provide evidence-based healthcare to people who are experiencing acute or chronic presentations, along with supporting their families.

Students will have the opportunity to care for people across the lifespan in a range of settings, such as acute, community and specialist mental health teams.

During this course – thanks to strong links with service providers across the region – we can offer a range of placement opportunities embedded within all three years of the course. Opportunities within this specific field include acute mental health wards, community mental health teams and more specialist placements such as; HMP Leicester, Perinatal Mental Health Team, Crisis Service, Child and Adolescents Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Older Adult Services.

Placements are typically provided across the East Midlands, in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and sometimes in surrounding counties. In your placement, you will work alongside practice supervisors and practice assessors to learn the practical application of nursing relevant to mental health nursing. During the course, students also have access to updated facilities, utilising simulation suites, Virtual Reality technology and LearningSpace software.

Our mental health nursing degree is NMC accredited and you will engage in field of practice specific learning opportunities throughout the programme, to support your developing identity as a mental health nurse, knowledge, and skills. The course also includes opportunities for interprofessional learning with other health and care students, as well as benefitting from shared learning opportunities with all nursing students.

For further details please contact:

Sam Humphrey

Programme Leader BSc Nursing (hons) with NMC registration

bscnursing@dmu.ac.uk

Key Features

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 呻吟之王 Global programme.
Our strong links and integrated work placements with local health and social care providers allow you to gain experience in real-world situations.

Block teaching designed around you

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments – rather than lots of exams at the end of the year – and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging. Read more about block teaching.

Financial support

The NHS Learning Support Fund provides eligible students with additional financial support whilst studying for their degree:

training grant of 拢5,000 per year
parental support payment of 拢2,000 per year to help with childcare
help towards additional travel and accommodation costs to clinical placements over your normal daily travel costs

Students must be eligible for tuition fees and maintenance support from the Student Loans Company (including certain residency criteria) to be eligible. Read more about the .

Accreditation

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

This programme is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), and has been developed to reflect the requirements of the NMC (2018) Future Nurse proficiencies standards of Nursing Education.

In first year, students will engage in 917 hours of theory and 720 hours of practice (56% theory and 44% practice).

Practice experience 1

This module is used as a vehicle to monitor NMC requirements, professional practice outcomes, professional conduct in practice and student attendance in practice. Students will have three placement blocks in year one in which the foundational skills required by a mental health nurse will be developed.

Foundations of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology in Nursing

This module explores human anatomy and physiology with an emphasis on pharmacology. Students will explore the main body systems and changes that occur through the aging process. Students will have opportunity to learn foundational knowledge about pharmacology including pharmakinestics and pharmacodynamics.

Influences on Wellbeing

This module will support students to develop understanding of the influences on wellbeing and health and how this can impact on individuals and groups throughout the lifespan. Students will develop fundamental knowledge regarding the mental health nurses’ role on the promotion of wellbeing and skills to support the wellbeing of the mental health patient.

Foundations of Field of Practise

This module will enable students to adopt an enquiring approach to the assessment, planning and delivery of safe and effective practice within their relevant field of practice. Students will explore foundational pathophysiology, including mental health field of practice specific pathophysiology, assessment and identification of immediate and essential care needs for patients/clients within the mental health field of practice.

In second year, students will engage in 848 hours of theory and 840hours of practice (50% theory and 50% practice).

Practice experience 2

This module is used as a vehicle to monitor NMC requirements, professional practice outcomes, professional conduct in practice and student attendance in practice. Students will have two placement blocks in year two in which they will continue to develop the skills required by a mental health nurse.

Evidence Based Practice and Research

The module will examine a range of research paradigms and will provide students with skills and understanding involved in planning, designing, contextualising and thinking critically about evidence-based research, which underpins nursing and health care practice.

Primary Care 鈥� Patient Journey 1

This module will enable students to develop their knowledge regarding the patient’s first point of contact with health care services through involvement with primary care services. You will learn about the context of factors that influence patient behaviour and their decision-making processes. You will examine common illnesses and experiences alongside some long-term health conditions utilising a holistic perspective and the importance of health promotion.

Acute Care 鈥� Patient Journey 2

This module explores acute nursing care (in secondary care). Students will develop skills in working with commonly encountered mental, physical, behavioural and cognitive health conditions, recognizing and responding to the deteriorating patient and the utilization of safe interventions to support patient care in the acute nursing care context. You will learn how to recognize and respond to deteriorating patients, using appropriate interventions to ensure evidence-based mental health nursing care.

In third year, students will engage in 769 hours of theory and 920 hours of practice (45.5% theory and 54.5% practice).

Practice experience 3

This module is used as a vehicle to monitor NMC requirements, professional practice outcomes, professional conduct in practice and student attendance in practice. Students will have two placement blocks in year three in which they will continue to develop and begin to consolidate the skills required by a mental health nurse.

Critical Inquiry and Research proposal

Students will be supported to complete a critical inquiry and research proposal based on a subject relevant to the mental health field of nursing practice. This will enable you to critically evaluate sources of evidence and support you to become an independent, accountable practitioner, ensuring that your practise as a future mental health nurse, is based on the best available evidence.

Leadership and Service Improvement

This module will develop students’ knowledge in understanding accountability and skills in relation to nursing leadership, and of the leadership roles and responsibilities of a registered mental health nurse.

Managing Complexities in Nursing Practice

This module aims to enable the student to critically analyse their knowledge, skills and decision-making processes relevant to caring for patient/clients within the mental health field of practice. Students will also develop skills in managing complex health presentations within the mental field of practice and have opportunity to further develop skills required to work effectively with the wider inter-disciplinary team.

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Learning is supported by a strong system of personal tutors, teaching teams, academic assessors, practice work placements and enthusiastic practice supervisors and assessors. Teaching methods include:

Lectures (face-to-face and online)
Seminars
Webinars
Workshops
Presentations
Tutorials
Simulation activities
Clinical skills learning
Enquiry-based problem solving
Independent e-learning
Peer learning sets

The programme meets the NMC (2018) requirements for an equal split between both theory and practice and the QAA requirements for a BSc (Hons) Award. The programme provides 2,534 hours of theory and 2,480 hours of practice (50.5% theory and 49.5% practice) across the duration of the three years of the programme. 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.

You will complete blocks of clinical placements 40 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 an academic assessor, practice supervisors and practice assessors to help develop and support learning in the practice context.

Assessment

Assessments fall at the end of each block and are used to assess your theory and practice knowledge. We use a variety of methods that are designed to support you with developing skills vital to a career in nursing. These include:

Examinations – demonstrating resilience and working under pressure

Presentations and Vivas – developing verbal communication skills and the ability to effective communicate complex material

Essays – building strong written skills to support with communicating complex nursing information

Reflective practice – develop skills to engage with written reflection as required by the NMC

Teaching contact hours

Contact hours in a typical week will depend to some extent on the modules you are studying. However, typically you will have up to 16 contact hours of teaching per week.

Related courses

Adult Nursing with NMC registration

Child Nursing with NMC registration

Learning Disability Nursing with NMC registration

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Our facilities

Clinical skills and simulation facilities for Health and Life Sciences

At 呻吟之王 we provide clinical skills and simulation teaching and practice that will enhance your theoretical learning by using a realistic, immersive environment that mimics the practice environments you will encounter during your clinical placements and in your career beyond. This provides our students with opportunities to develop cognitive, practical and interpersonal skills through a comprehensive programme of simulated experiences and clinical skills sessions, allowing you to develop the confidence to perform in the real world.

呻吟之王 have invested in extending and enhancing the range of clinical skills and simulation facilities available for health and life science students. We currently have two dedicated spaces on campus that provide flexible teaching and assessment spaces to meet a wide range of student’s needs.

Hawthorn building houses two ward environments, a dedicated midwifery suite, radiography suite and bespoke manual handling and paramedicine spaces.

Our designated clinical skills teaching hub in Heritage House offers flexible teaching rooms - designed to replicate the changing environments of clinical practice, a soft furnished space, audiology suite and observation rooms. Students benefit from the audio /visual technology that allows sessions to be recorded and live streamed, facilitating remote learning opportunities. This technology also enhances your learning opportunities through the use of meaningful debriefing of teaching and simulation sessions allowing you to reflect on your practice and improve in both ability and confidence before taking your learning into the real world.

Our expertise

Most of our nursing lecturers are registered nurses or other recognised health care professionals and qualified teachers. Many are research active bringing their subject knowledge and research expertise in to their teaching. A number of our lecturers have doctoral level qualifications, with many more currently undertaking academic and professional doctorates.

The Leicester School of Nursing and Midwifery has an excellent reputation and good links with the local NHS trust and other potential employers, which is beneficial when you are applying for jobs.

Our students and alumni

Why did you choose to study Mental Health Nursing at 呻吟之王?

I had wanted to become a mental health nurse since finishing my GCSE’s in 2018. This was because of my own personal experiences of the mental health system and wanting to be the change. I had also considered social work, but in the end Mental Health nursing was the only option for me, as I just felt such a connection with the occupation.

I partly chose 呻吟之王, as I needed somewhere close to home as I couldn’t move into student accommodation after having my son whilst at college in 2020. What made 呻吟之王 stand out to me amongst the other options was their communication with me, and the passion I saw from the lecturers and other students when attending open days or events, and in my interview. I also found out I was pregnant not long after accepting my offer and making 呻吟之王 my first choice, and the support from academic staff even before I was officially enrolled was something I’ll appreciate for the rest of my life, they made it possible for me to start late, rather than deferring for a year.

How have you found it studying Mental Health Nursing?

It has definitely been a rollercoaster in the best possible way. I have just finished my third year and I am about to start my first nursing role as soon as we get our pin. I have had so many opportunities to grow and develop, not just as a nurse, but as a person as well. I feel like such a more well-rounded person now than before I started.

What makes us special

Three students working together around a laptop

Block teaching

With block teaching, you’ll learn in a focused format, where you study one subject at a time instead of several at once. As a result, you will receive faster feedback through more regular assessment, have a more simplified timetable, and have a better study-life balance. That means more time to engage with your 呻吟之王 community and other rewarding aspects of university life.

呻吟之王 Global

鈥痠s our innovative international experience programme, which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world. Through 呻吟之王 Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study and faculty-led field trips.

Students from the school have recently undertaken 呻吟之王 Global trips to places such as:

Amsterdam鈥痶o study harm reduction strategies

顿耻产补颈鈥�to study chronic kidney disease and renal care

Peru鈥痺here they took part in healthcare programmes

贬别濒蝉颈苍办颈鈥�to compare health education and services

These are examples of some of the overseas experiences that our nursing students have accessed in the past. We may offer alternative trips during your course.

Where we could take you

Placements

As part of this course, you will have the opportunity to complete a number of placements, which offer invaluable professional experience. Placements are typically provided across the East Midlands, in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and sometimes in surrounding counties. Students must therefore be prepared to travel to access placement opportunities which are an essential component of the programme.

In your placement, you will work alongside practice supervisors and practice assessors to learn the practical application of nursing relevant to your chosen field. Placements are typically based in a variety of acute and community health environments and social care settings, including caring for individuals in their own homes. This includes a range of different shift patterns across a 24-hour cycle.

Further information

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.

Graduate careers

Upon successfully completing the course nursing graduates are eligible to apply for NMC registration and can apply to work on a variety of roles throughout the NHS, charitable and private healthcare sectors. Registered nurses can start on a salary of £29,969 (NHS nurse band 5 pay scale – correct as of July 2024).

You find employment opportunities in a range of settings such as community mental health nursing teams and in patient services. As you progress through your career you may find employment as a clinical nurse specialist in CAMHS, Primary Care, Psychosis and Mental Health Liaison or you may move into teaching, clinical research or management.

Once qualified, our postgraduate study opportunities can further enhance your knowledge and skills, including鈥�Post Registration Education, professional doctorates and master’s degrees such as鈥�Professional Clinical Practice MSc/PG Cert/PG Dip.

Additional costs

The core textbooks for all modules are available in the Kimberlin Library, and journal articles in your reading lists are also mostly available electronically from your my呻吟之王 login. Some students like to purchase their own text books or print course documents and we suggest allowing approximately £200 per year for this.

All students are required to pay for their DBS check if required for your programme or placement.

In addition students will be required to pay for their travel costs to placements or project locations.

All students are provided the opportunity to participate in 呻吟之王 Global trips. These trips are subsidised by the University, and the cost and subsidy varies by location.

Take your next steps

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Find out how to apply

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Course specifications

Course title

Mental Health Nursing with NMC registration

Award

BSc (Hons)

UCAS code

B701

Institution code

D26

Study level

Undergraduate

Study mode

Full-time

Start date

September

Duration

Three years full-time (45 week year)

Fees

2025/26 UK tuition fees:
£9,535*

*subject to the government, as is expected, passing legislation to formalise the increase.

Additional costs

Entry requirements

GCSEs

Five GCSEs at grade C/4 or above including: English and Maths

Passes in Functional Key Skills in Level 2 Maths and English will only be accepted if the qualification and awarding organisation is regulated by Ofqual.

Plus one of the following:

A Level

A minimum of 112 UCAS points from 2 or more A levels, including at least two subjects at C or above. We do not accept General Studies or UCAS points achieved through music exams.

T Levels

Merit in Health overall

BTEC

BTEC National Diploma - normally in Health and Social Care or Applied Science at DMM
BTEC Extended Diploma - normally in Health and Social Care or Applied Science at DMM

Access course

AHE (Nursing and Midwifery)
AHE (Science)
AHE (Health Professions)

Pass in the QAA Access to HE with a minimum of 96 UCAS points

GCSE English and Maths or functional skills level 2 qualifications in English and Maths are required.

We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

International Baccalaureate 26+ points

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 7 overall when you start the course is essential, with a 7.0 in all components except writing which should be at least 6.5.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning (CELL), is available both before and during the course.

Interview requirements

Interview: Yes

Professional conduct during the event will also contribute to the decision-making regarding an applicant’s application.

The recruitment process for this course includes assessing applicants by the content of their personal statement and interview for the core values of the NHS constitution.

Interviews will be delivered via Microsoft Teams.

Work experience requirements

Work experience: Desirable

Although not essential, some relevant experience – paid or voluntary, is desirable and can strengthen your application with us. Please tell us in your personal statement, and at interview details of the length of time spent gaining relevant experience and the type of experience you have. You should also clearly demonstrate your motivations and suitability to study and train as a nurse and how your experience relates to the role.

Non-academic requirements

As well as academic requirements, you will also be required to meet and fulfil non-academic requirements which are stated below:

Self-Declaration Form clearance
Occupational Health clearance
Enhanced DBS disclosure clearance

You submit an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service disclosure application form before starting the course (if you are overseas you will also need to submit a criminal records certificate from your home country), which needs to be cleared in accordance with 呻吟之王’s admissions policy. Contact us for up-to-date information.

We strongly advise that you opt for the DBS update service as it is possible that future placement providers may request a recent DBS and not one from the start of the programme. If you decide not to opt for this service then you will have to pay for the DBS again if requested by your placement provided – the university will not cover this cost.

You must meet and fulfil all non-academic requirements before 18 July 2025. Failure to meet this deadline may result in your offer being withdrawn.

UCAS tariff information

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Availability: This course has a limited number of places so that we can ensure a good quality placement experience. In exceptional circumstances this may result in the course becoming full before you have completed the admissions process. In this situation we will offer you the opportunity to be considered for a place on an alternative course.

呻吟之王

Key facts

Key Features

A Top 30 University

An 鈥楨xcellent鈥� Five Star Rated University

The Best Careers Support

The First University to Achieve a Silver Race Equality Charter Award

Top 10 for Sustainability

The Best University for LGBTQ+ staff

The Best Autism Support

Financial support

Accreditation

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

What you will study

Practice experience 1

Foundations of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology in Nursing

Influences on Wellbeing

Foundations of Field of Practise

Practice experience 2

Evidence Based Practice and Research

Primary Care 鈥� Patient Journey 1

Acute Care 鈥� Patient Journey 2

Practice experience 3

Critical Inquiry and Research proposal

Leadership and Service Improvement

Managing Complexities in Nursing Practice

Assessment

Teaching contact hours

Mental Health Nursing with NMC registration in the spotlight

Related courses

Our facilities

Clinical skills and simulation facilities for Health and Life Sciences

Our expertise

Our students and alumni

Nicole Woodhouse

What makes us special

Block teaching

呻吟之王 Global

Where we could take you

Placements

Graduate careers

Additional costs

Take your next steps

Find out how to apply

Open Days - Book your place

Course specifications

Entry requirements

呻吟之王 Global