Program Overview

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Nursing (Mental Health) BSc Honours

Why choose Nursing (Mental Health) BSc Honours at Middlesex?

Prepare for a fulfilling career as a mental health nurse with a course designed to equip you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to support people experiencing mental health challenges. At Middlesex, you’ll combine practical experience with advanced simulation training and expert teaching to become a compassionate, resilient, and capable healthcare professional.

About your course

Our course values the practical application of skills in real-life settings as a vital part of nursing training. Therefore, 50% of your study time is spent on placement. You will develop a detailed understanding of severe and enduring mental health conditions, which include dual diagnosis, psychoses, child and adolescent mental health and dementia.

Year 1 overview

In year one, you'll cover the main scientific and biological underpinnings of mental health nursing such as anatomy and physiology and core communication skills. You'll also have your first placement experience, for which you'll be fully supported and prepared.

• Foundations of Expansive Learning for Professional Nursing Practice (30 credits) - Compulsory This module equips you to develop your self-awareness through reflective activities. You will develop a broad understanding of the complexity of health and social care issues and the development of appropriate professional attitude, skills and knowledge. Additionally the module offers you the opportunity to develop a range of applied skills through active enquiry, synthesis and reflection.
• Foundations of Mental Health Nursing Knowledge (30 credits) - Compulsory This module starts developing the role and function of the graduate mental health nurse in health and illness. It will provide the fundamental nursing knowledge required to undertake basic nursing assessment, support and enable people across different life spans in managing and improving physical and mental health, and preventing ill health. Theories, evidence and models to support the art and science of nursing will be introduced to develop knowledge and understanding about the nature of nursing, the person, health, society and the environment.
• Foundations of Scientific Principles for Mental Health Nursing (30 credits) - Compulsory This module will introduce and expand on the scientific principles underpinning nursing practice. This comprehensive module introduces principles which draw on scientific areas of biopsychosocial and behavioural sciences as related to all areas of nursing with a focus on mental health nursing.
• Practice Learning 1 Mental Health (30 credits) - Compulsory You will be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills in meeting the fundamental care needs of people across their lifespan, with a range of physical, mental, cognitive and behavioural health challenges. You will demonstrate high standards of professional conduct in line with the NMC code in all aspects of your practice and be able to carry out a range of procedures, under supervision, that are expected of you at this level, in a variety of health and social care settings.

Year 2 overview

In year two, you'll begin to develop your skills in mental health assessment and treatment. You'll have the opportunity to put into practice the interventions – such as psychosocial and medication management skills – you'll be learning.

• Developing Expansive Learning for Professional Nursing Practice (30 credits) - Compulsory This module develops your professional and leadership knowledge, and self-awareness through critical reflective activities and evaluation of your own learning. It builds your theoretical knowledge to enhance clinical and professional judgements and independence. The module provides in-depth knowledge of your subject area of choice, with reference and application to the wider complexities of health and social care.
• Developing Nursing Knowledge in Mental Health Nursing (30 credits) - Compulsory This module develops the knowledge and skills required of the graduate mental health nurse to assess, plan and evaluate care across the lifespan during illness that is person centred and evidence-based. It will focus on interventions to address physical, cognitive, mental, spiritual, behavioural and social health needs during illness.
• Developing Scientific Principles for Mental Health Nursing (30 credits) - Compulsory This module will build upon the scientific module of year one to further develop principles and deepen the knowledge and application to all fields of nursing.
• Practice Learning 2 Mental Health Nursing (30 credits) - Compulsory You will demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills to meet more complex care needs of people across the lifespan with a range of mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural health challenges, across a range of health and social care settings in line with the new standards of proficiency. You will be expected to demonstrate increasing independence in their own field of mental health practice whilst maintaining high standards of professional conduct in line with the NMC Code, showing awareness of the implications of the Code for self and others.

Year 3 overview

In your final year, we'll support your preparation for employment by ensuring you are equipped with leadership and management skills. You'll consolidate the expertise you have built over the last three years and will be prepared for job applications and interviews.

• Consolidating Expansive Learning for Professional Nursing Practice (30 credits) - Compulsory This module builds upon and consolidates your knowledge and skills to manage and lead as an accountable, responsible, emotionally intelligent nurse. It will support you to understand your own learning needs, and that of others so that you can evaluate and investigate complex problems, and socially engaging nursing practice.
• Consolidating Nursing Knowledge in Mental Health Nursing (30 credits) - Compulsory This module enables you to critically engage with the coordination and management of care delivery for those individuals who are severely ill with life-threatening or limiting illness, or have complex physical/mental health needs requiring long-term care in a range of healthcare settings, working in partnership with the individual, your families where relevant and the multi-disciplinary team to evaluate whether the care is effective and meets desired outcomes. It will focus on encouraging you to build on prior learning in relation to critically applying nursing knowledge, evidence/research and the nursing process in the planning and co-ordination of care for the individual with complex needs.
• Consolidating Scientific Principles for Mental Health Nursing (30 credits) - Compulsory This module builds upon the scientific module of year two to consolidate scientific principles and deepen the knowledge and application. It also extends knowledge and application of pharmacological principles especially as to underpin nursing care within own field of practice and future potential prescribing practice.
• Practice Learning 3 Mental Health (30 credits) - Compulsory You will be able to demonstrate the ability to work autonomously in the mental health field of practice caring for all people across the lifespan with a range of physical, mental, cognitive and behavioural challenges. You will display advanced clinical skills and have the ability to integrate leadership in all aspects of care management. You will utilise a critical and reflective approach in delivering high standards of professional conduct in line with the NMC Code as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

Facilities and support

Healthcare facilities

Our state-of-the-art clinical health facilities at the West Stand, StoneX Stadium, feature high-tech simulation suites where you can practice realistic hospital scenarios using advanced simulators and life-like mannequins.

Teaching and learning

Innovative teaching and learning

You'll be taught by an experienced teaching team who have a wide range of expertise and professional experience. Throughout the course, we emphasise the importance of developing practical skills and the course is split equally between theory and practice.

Teaching methods

You will gain knowledge through:

• 50% of learning will take place in the practice setting (including Simulated Practice Learning) and
• 50% theory based in the university.

Our formal teaching methods include: lectures, participatory seminars, small group discussions, self-guided and directed learning, e-learning, support from the academic advisor, skills laboratory and practical clinical sessions, use of virtual and augmented reality resources and clinical placements.

Coursework and assessments

Assessment is through exams (including OSCEs), practical assessments and coursework. Coursework will include a dissertation, your portfolio, reports, care plans, drug calculations, individual and group presentations, online assessments and learning logbooks.

Entry requirements

Qualifications

• UCAS Points: 112 UCAS points including GCSE grade C/4 in English and maths or equivalencies such as functional skills level 2*
• A-Level: BBC
• BTEC: DMM
• Access requirements: Overall pass: must include 45 credits at level 3, of which all 45 must be at Merit or higher
• Combinations: A combination of A-Level, BTEC and other accepted qualifications that total 112 UCAS Tariff points

Further requirements

• You are required to demonstrate that you have work experience. This does not have to be in the field of healthcare.
• You are also required to provide evidence of study within the last 5 years.
• To begin the course you must also complete a satisfactory enhanced DBS check, Occupational Health Check, and provide suitable references.
• We are unable to accept applications for deferred entry or defer existing offers for this programme to the next possible start date.

Fees

UK students

• Full-time: £9,535*

International students

• Full-time students: £16,000

Career opportunities

Nursing today is more flexible and varied than ever. Mental health nurses have the opportunity to work across a broad range of fields and the skills that make you a good mental health nurse are transferable to many other areas.

Nurses work in services for children and adolescents right up to the ground-breaking work that is going on in dementia care. Mental health nurses are needed in secure facilities like prisons and special hospitals, in specialist mental health wards, across a host of community settings and in health settings like GP surgeries and emergency departments in general hospitals.

There are specialist roles for mental health nurses which range from nurse prescribers to managers and consultants. Mental health nurses are involved in teaching, research, educational outreach, and public health, and work with a range of employers from the voluntary sector to the Armed Forces. You can also travel and work abroad as a mental health nurse and some nurses work in social care and set up their own businesses.

Nursing is a 24hr profession – many nurses have flexible hours and shift patterns may include early, late, night, weekend and bank holiday work. With planning, you can shape your career to suit your needs and ambitions.

You will need to remain up to date to be an effective practitioner and you may continue your education after you graduate with CPD (Continuing Professional Development). This expectation helps with career progression as nurses have the opportunity to specialise in areas such as dual diagnosis, dementia or child and adolescent mental health.

You will be able to progress to a range of taught Masters’ programmes including the MSc Mental Health Studies. You will also have the opportunity to undertake work-based learning studies at postgraduate level.