Mental Health Nursing BN (Hons)

Course Content

You will have compulsory theoretical study and clinical placements in hospitals, community and/or residential settings in north Wales. Closely supervised placements, that enable you to observe professionals at work and participate in the delivery of nursing care, start early in the course.

Support is available from a personal tutor, who is a registered nurse and an academic member of staff, and supervision in the clinical area from a practicing registered nurse. Theoretical and practical work is assessed through assignments, examinations, presentations and the All-Wales Assessment of Clinical Practice portfolio.

What will you study on this course?

The course is based equally on theory and practice – 50% is on theoretical study and 50% is spent in clinical practice developing competence needed for entry to the NMC’s register. You’ll develop therapeutic interpersonal skills and professional behaviours, values and attitudes expected of a mental health nurse to ensure the safety and protection of people of all ages and their carers and families. You will develop skills for assessing mental health needs; formulating, planning and reviewing mental health care; implementing care and therapeutic interventions for mental health; and applying mental health legislation to practice.

While you’ll specialise in mental health nursing from the start of the programme, there are opportunities to study alongside other student healthcare professionals and the School has a strategy for interprofessional learning. Within the individual degree programmes there are shared learning opportunities for all fields to learn together about shared elements such as anatomy and physiology, psychology, sociology, communication, reflection, law and ethics. This interprofesssional learning enables multidisciplinary working from the outset and an appreciation of how the elements of health care fit together in the patient journey. Sharing ideas between health disciplines will broaden your perspective on healthcare, and help you focus on specific skills you develop in your own field of nursing.

For 2022 entry the Bachelor of Nursing programme for all four fields is mapped to the 2018 Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards of proficiency for registered nurses and the Future Nurse: Standards of proficiency. The new programme ensures nurses have greater understanding of patient/client needs across all four fields of nursing practice, but remaining field focused. The programme prepares future registrants with team working and leadership skills and more knowledge in the area of public health needed to deliver care in different settings to support health and well-being for clients and patients.