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Deliver restorative interventions to those experiencing mental distress and illness. Develop interpersonal therapeutic skills to promote recovery and positive mental wellbeing. Graduate ready to deliver effective and sincere person-centred care as a mental health nurse.
The BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing Practice degree will allow you to learn how to deliver compassionate and restorative care to those experiencing mental distress and illness. As a critical thinker, you'll deliver effective and sincere person-centred care based upon a contemporary evidence-base, which will be administered and applied within a spectrum of clinical skills to include physical health monitoring and promotion, and interpersonal therapeutic skills to promote recovery and positive mental wellbeing.
As a mental health nurse, you'll be competent and confident in working with and supporting a ‘whole-systems’ evidenced approach in diverse settings, ensuring the mental wellbeing of families and carers with a relative experiencing mental distress. Partnership working with multi-professionals and services will ensure the very best care and outcomes are reached for those experiencing mental illness.
A combination of practice placements with our NHS partner Trusts and on-campus learning using our interactive facilities alongside our Patient, Carer and Public Involvement (PCPI) participants will give you the chance to develop your skills and experience.
On successful completion of the Mental Health Nursing course, you'll be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a registered mental health nurse.
We use various methods of teaching on the Mental Health Nursing course including:
Assessment methods on the Mental Health Nursing degree include written reports, essays, examinations, oral presentations, portfolios, clinical reflection diaries, competency logs, patient care plans, and case studies.
Spending time on clinical placements in a range of settings under the supervision of registered practitioners will give you the chance to practise what you learn in a real-life setting, giving you a taste of what to expect as a qualified nurse.
Learn more about our unique Living Lab and Helen McArdle House, which are home to a range of advanced sector simulation equipment.
Find out how Living Lab allows you to experience a range of health, medical and care events in simulated environments
Nursing is the UK’s most employable type of degree with 94% of students getting a job within six months of completing their course. Find out more about what you can do with a nursing degree.
Explore the career paths available in nursing
The role of a mental health nurse can bring many challenges but is also highly rewarding. If you’re considering studying for a mental health nursing degree, here you can explore some of the fantastic reasons to choose a career in this area of nursing.
Learn more about mental health nursing
Our typical offer is 120 UCAS Tariff points from a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A Levels, T Levels, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate. If you studied T Levels, it must be in health.
Please note, we don't accept General Studies AS or A Level and you must show evidence of recent academic study within the last five years at entry level.
Find out how many points your qualifications are worth using the UCAS Tariff calculator.
We also require at least five passes at GCSE grade C or above which must include mathematics and English language or equivalent. If you've studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade, you'll need to achieve a grade 4 or above.
Your completed application form will be reviewed by our Admissions team to ensure that you have the required entry qualifications. If you meet these requirements, your application will be individually assessed by the Mental Health Nursing Practice Admissions Tutor and, if successful, you'll be shortlisted for interview.
The selection process will include an individual interview and a group activity which will assess you on your values, problem solving, and communication skills.
This is available to applicants who meet the course-specific APL requirements. It may apply to applicants who wish to transfer their NMC approved nursing studies from another university where they have achieved 120 credits at Level 4.
If you're interested in the APL route, please contact the admissions tutors for further information: Shelly Rowell at shelly.rowell@sunderland.ac.uk or on 07976215092, or Helen Robinson at helen.robinson@sunderland.ac.uk or on 07977451156.
We'd be looking for a combination of merit and distinctions in your level 3 units which should preferably include some units in a health or a science-related subject.
Medical assessments of your mental and physical health and disclosure of criminal convictions apply to all nursing courses and are based on current NMC requirements. Nurses are registered healthcare professionals and the ability to practise safely, effectively, and professionally is essential, so all applicants are required to follow our fitness to practise procedures. This means you're required to complete the following:
Instructions on how you complete these checks will be sent to you once you hold a conditional firm offer with us. These forms are then reviewed alongside your application, and you must meet both the academic and fitness to practise requirements before you'll be given an unconditional offer. If you're successful, you'll also need to complete an annual declaration form to confirm you're fit and there are no changes to your DBS.
We require international applicants to meet the equivalent UK entry requirements and IELTS with a minimum of 6.5 in each element with an overall score of 7. To be eligible for an interview, you must currently have attained an overall IELTS score of at least 7 with 6.5 in each element.
Students studying a health or social care course that has a placement within the NHS or any other Care Quality Commission establishment are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Find out more in our Help and Advice article.
September 2024 fees:
*European Union (EU), EEA (European Economic Area), and Swiss nationals who don't qualify for the EU Settlement Scheme are classed as international, however, for 24/25 admission, you'll receive a European student fee scholarship and will pay the home tuition fee rate for the duration of your studies. The discounted fee will be reflected in your offer letter. Learn more in our Help and Advice article.
A non-repayable grant of £5,000 and extra payments worth up to £3,000 is available to eligible home students for each year of study. Read more about the Training Grant on The NHS Business Services Authority website.
If you currently serve (or have recently served) within the Armed Forces, then the Ministry of Defence's ELCAS scheme may be able to help cover your funding for this course. Read more about funding for Armed Forces personnel.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
Nursing degrees make you highly employable, with 94% of graduates securing a job within six months of completing their course. Job opportunities are flexible, both within the NHS and community settings, and in the UK and overseas. Successful completion of the Mental Health Nursing course will enable you to apply for graduate jobs available within the NHS, voluntary, and private sector services in the UK.
Find out more about where a career in nursing could take you.
One in four people will suffer from a mental illness at some point in their lives and you could be part of the next workforce making an impact. Mental health nurses are the largest professional group, providing care in a variety of settings. As key workers, mental health nurses work in a range of complex and rewarding roles in hospitals, GP surgeries, prisons, schools, or within patients' homes. There's also the option to work in private healthcare or for mental health charities, as well as in the armed forces.
Upon qualifying, mental health nurses start on NHS band 5 with a salary of £28,407 and have the opportunity for career progression to more advanced roles such as an Approved Clinician which can sit within bands 8b/8c, with the potential of earning a salary of £58,972 or £70,417.
At all levels of the Mental Health Nursing course, you'll undertake unpaid clinical placements in hospitals and the community. These occur in blocks of varying duration:
Your first placement will take place in the first term, after ten weeks of teaching.
Placements can take place at any of our partner trusts: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Foundation Trust, and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Foundation Trust.
During your mental health nursing placements, you'll be assigned Practice Assessors and Practice Supervisors who will directly assess and supervise you, as well as act as a means of support and guidance.
As you may be expected to travel long distances, start your shift in the early hours, or finish your shift late at night, you could be entitled to Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE) which allows you to make a retrospective claim for excess travel costs and/or expenses for temporary accommodation near to the location of your placement. Find out more about the NHS Learning Support Fund.
The staff are some of the most well-educated people I have had the privilege of learning from.
The lecturers are knowledgeable about their course and they're always there to help.
The support and encouragement that you get from staff is second to none.
Do I need work experience?
We appreciate that it is not possible to obtain work experience in the health or caring environment. As an alternative we would recommend that you investigate the field of nursing you are interested in through online resources, professional body websites and healthcare organisations so you can demonstrate a clear understanding of the role.
What should I include in my personal statement?
Your personal statement provides a unique opportunity to express your personal qualities and attributes related to a rewarding career in nursing. The statement should include a clear articulation of:
For more advice on your personal statement please read our article on how to write a personal statement when you have no work experience.
What does a nursing interview involve?
Our interviews consist of an individual interview and group activity. For advice on how to prepare, please read our article on how to prepare for interviews for healthcare degrees. Interviews start in late November and will run until the summer.
How many weeks holiday is there each year?
You will have seven weeks of holiday per year, with two weeks off at Christmas. The remaining five weeks is spread across the rest of the academic year. The timings of the holidays will vary over the three years and we do try, where possible, to align some of these to the school holidays. You are unable to take holiday outside of these set times, but you will be provided with a three year plan on enrolment.
How far will I have to travel for my placements?
As part of the interview process, you'll be asked to rank your preferred Trusts, and your Trust will be confirmed once you start the course. Please note it is not possible to guarantee your first choice. We would recommend that prior to your interview, you consider your preferred Trust. All your placements will then take place in various locations within that trust so the travel distance will vary.
How long are the placement shifts?
Your standard working week will be around 37.5 hours on a shift pattern which can include nights, early starts, evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Shifts can be anywhere between 7-12 hours and the pattern can vary between trusts. Your shifts will be confirmed four weeks prior to starting your placement. It's not possible to fit placements around school hours and holidays.