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Course starts: 22 April 2024Apply now
To apply for this course via UCAS please apply here. Please note this course is not open to international applicants.
Course starts: 22 April 2024Apply now
To apply for this course via UCAS please apply here. Please note this course is not open to international applicants.
Course starts: 16 September 2024Apply now
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.
The BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing Practice degree will lead to registration as a qualified nurse in mental health. You'll graduate ready to actively participate and engage with a cutting-edge workforce delivering caring, compassionate and restorative interventions 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.
You will be competent and confident in working with and supporting a ‘whole-systems’ 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 for those experiencing mental illness.
We use various methods of teaching on the Mental Health Nursing Practice course including:
Assessment methods include written reports, essays, examinations, oral presentations, portfolios, clinical reflection diaries, competency logs, patient care plans, and case studies.
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
While many of our courses begin in September, some of our undergraduate healthcare degrees also have intakes in April, meaning you can start studying sooner. In this article, we're exploring why it can be beneficial to start your healthcare course in April.
Discover the benefits of starting a healthcare course in April
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
We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.
Please note we do not accept General Studies AS or A Level and you must show evidence of recent academic study within the last five years at entry level.
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, then your application will be individually assessed by the Mental Health Nursing Practice Admissions Tutor and if successful you will 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.
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)
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 are 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.
Access
We would 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. We also require a minimum of grade C in maths and English language or equivalent. If you have studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade then you will need to achieve a grade 4 or above.
Fitness to practise
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 health care 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 are 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 will be given an unconditional offer. If you are successful, you will also need to complete an annual declaration form to confirm you are 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.
2023/24 annual fees:
2024/25 annual fees:
*European Union (EU), EEA (European Economic Area), and Swiss nationals who do not qualify for the EU Settlement Scheme are classed as international, however, for 23/24 admission you will 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. For more information, see our Funding for Armed Forces personnel page.
Take a look at the Your Finances area to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
Successful completion of the Mental Health Nursing course will lead to registration with the NMC as a qualified mental health nurse, enabling you to apply for graduate posts 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. 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 such as crisis teams, street triage, community mental health teams, psychological therapies and specialist treatment teams.
Upon qualifying, mental health nurses can start on NHS band 5 (£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 (£58,972/£70,417).
At all levels of the course, you'll undertake unpaid clinical placements in hospitals and the community. The placements occur in blocks of varying duration:
Your first placement will take place in the first term, after ten weeks of teaching.
You will undertake your placements at one of our partner trusts: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Foundation Trust and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Foundation Trust. During your placements, you will 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.