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MSc Nursing (Mental Health)
NHS Learning Support Fund
- Training grants of at least £5,000 a year are available for eligible healthcare students which you will not have to pay back.
- You may also be eligible for an additional £2,000 towards childcare costs to help balance your studies with family life and £3,000 for students who find themselves in unforeseen financial hardship.
Why choose Herts?
NMC Accreditation: You will be eligible to enter the Nursing and Midwifery Council Professional Register to legally practice as a Mental Health Nurse.
Work-Related Learning: Gain 50% theory and 50% placement practice. Students work in placements at NHS Trusts, and within clinical and community healthcare settings, addiction services, and children's services.
Employment Opportunities: Graduates are working as Community Mental Health Nurse’s, Crisis Nurse’s, and Consultant Nurses in hospitals, community practice, individuals’ homes, and rehabilitation units.
Professional Accreditations
Entitlement to apply to enter the professional register of the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Registered Nurse (Mental Health).
About the course
As a mental health nurse you will work in partnership with individuals experiencing mental health difficulties from a wide range of backgrounds and age-groups.
Approximately 25% of the population are thought to experience some form of mental health problem at any given time.
Mental health nurses are the largest profession working in mental health.
You will draw on a core set of values that inform every aspect of your practice. You will learn to:
- Respect individuals affected by mental health problems
- Value the aspirations of the individual
- Offer meaningful choices in evidence based interventions and care
- Adopt a positive attitude to change and support social inclusion
50% of your time will be spent in classroom based learning and 50% will be spent on placements in clinical settings such as hospitals and community. Your placements and classroom studies will alternate in blocks of several weeks.
You will develop the complex range of competencies required to become a skilled mental health nurse.
Please download some further important information about the course
Why choose this course?
2nd for health and social care in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES, Advance HE, 2023).
Mental Health nurses have a vital and challenging role in establishing therapeutic relationships with individuals who experience mental health problems. Including:
- Providing support to families, relatives and carers
- Responding to changing needs
- Promoting mental and physical health recovery and general wellbeing
This highly specialised branch of nursing focuses on caring and supporting individuals of all age groups suffering from mental problems or mental distress in different care settings including:
- Individuals’ Homes
- Inpatient
- Outpatient
- General hospitals
- Community and rehabilitation units
You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team including GPs psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, arts therapists and healthcare assistants.
The University of Hertfordshire was ranked 2nd in the East of England for Nursing (2023 Complete University Guide).
What will I study?
Your time will be split equally (50/50) between classroom based learning and practical placements. You will have the opportunity to link practical experience to theoretical learning and vice versa.
During your placements you will undertake:
- Supervised practice - working with qualified nurses to develop clinical skills
- Training and education activities within the placement setting
- Skills development activities to ensure patients' needs are met
Your time at the University will be spent in:
- standard lectures
- seminars
- tutorials
- laboratories
- case studies
- individual and group projects
In your final year you will normally have the opportunity to hone your independent study and interpersonal skills by undertaking a major project or dissertation.
Further course information
| Course fact sheets | |
|---|---|
| MSc Nursing (Mental Health) | Download |
| MSc Nursing (Mental Health) | Download |
| Programme specifications | |
|---|---|
| MSc Nursing (Mental Health) | Download |
| MSc Nursing (Mental Health) | Download |
| Additional information | |
|---|---|
Sandwich placement or study abroad year |
n/a |
Applications open to international and EU students |
Yes |
Student experience
At the University of Hertfordshire, we want to make sure your time studying with us is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. We offer a range of support services including; student wellbeing, academic support, accommodation and childcare to ensure that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying and having fun.
Find out about how we support our students
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