BN Nursing (Mental Health)

Undergraduate, Full-time

Nursing (Mental Health) BN



Gain the skills to progress your career in mental health nursing and see the benefits that your care can have on patients and families

Overview

Explore the rewarding and complex study of mental health and develop the skills required to practise nursing in a compassionate and recovery-focused way.

Taught by experts in a friendly and supportive environment, you’ll put theory into practice in our state-of-the art Simulation and Clinical Skills Centre, and participate in work placements across the Lothian and Borders area in hospital and community settings.

This dynamic, forward-looking three-year course aims to produce effective and skilled practitioners. It offers a combination of theory and practice with opportunities for you to exercise some choice over what you study, including the option of an international placement.

You’ll gain the team working, personal and decision making skills needed to demonstrate your eligibility for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council including:

  • professional values
  • communication and interpersonal skills
  • nursing practice and decision making
  • leadership, management and team working abilities
Nursing students in the clinical skills and simulation suite

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

3 years

Start date:

Sep

UCAS code:

B760

Placement:

Yes

Study Abroad:

Yes


About you
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Course details

The three-year degree shares common theory modules with other fields of practice and includes shared input on research, leadership and quality development.

You'll concentrate on key mental health topics including communication and therapeutic skills, understanding and working with users and carers in mental health services and knowledge of legal and ethical practice.

There is also a strong emphasis on recovery, positive mental health, values-based practice, user and carer involvement and mental health promotion.

This course allows you to specialise in mental health nursing, providing both an academic qualification and the vocational training to become a registered nurse, underpinned by key themes:

  • Communication, interpersonal and therapeutic skills
  • working in partnership with service users, carers and colleagues
  • respecting diversity, practising ethically and challenging inequality
  • developing reflective practitioners – with skills in critical thinking, evidence-based practice and life-long learning
  • leading, monitoring and developing care
  • promoting positive mental health
  • calendar How you’ll be taught

    Your learning experience will be supported by: lectures, tutorials, group work, skills simulation classes and work placements.
  • note and pen Assessments

    Academic writing, including essays and reports, exams and assessment in clinical placements.
  • briefcase Work placement

    Work placements make up 50% of the course content. These placements will be in acute hospital settings and a variety of community environments.
  • study abroad Study abroad

    Volunteering and mobility opportunities:

    • Long summer holiday in Year 2 to allow volunteering
    • Mobility placements outwith Lothian and Borders or with international organisations in Year 3
    • Students have undertaken placements in Australia and Zambia and various countries in between.

Popular modules

Year 1

  • Foundations of Health and Well Being
  • Developing Professionalism
  • Nursing Practice 1 and 2

Year 2

  • Essential Theory and Skills for Mental Health Practice
  • Effective Interagency Working in Healthcare
  • Nursing Practice 3 and 4

Year 3

  • Critical Perspectives of Mental Health
  • Effective Leadership in Healthcare
  • Nursing Practice 5 and 6

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information on this is available in our disclaimer.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Our entry requirements indicate the minimum qualifications with which we normally accept students. Competition for places varies from year to year and you aren't guaranteed a place if you meet the minimum qualifications.

Minimum year 1

SQA Higher

Typical Entry Requirement

BBC preferably to include English or a Literary subject* and a Science**

National 5 Grade C in Maths

National 5 Grade C in English and Biology required for candidates who do not have these subjects at Higher.

Adjusted offer entry requirement

BCC including English and Biology or Human Biology.

National 5 Grade C in Maths.

You may be given an adjusted offer of entry if you meet specific widening participation criteria as outlined in our contextual admissions policy. Click here for further information about our entry requirements and admissions policies.

A Level

BC preferably to include English or a Literary subject* and a Science**

GCSE Grade C/4 in Maths

GCSE Grade C/4 in English and Biology or Double Award Science required for candidates who do not have these subjects at A Level.

BTEC (QCF) National Extended Diploma Level 3

Minimum grades MMP (Merit, Merit, Pass) in a related subject.

GCSE English, Maths and Biology (preferred), Chemistry or Physics at Grade C/4.

Related subjects: Health and Social Care/Applied Sciences/Sports Science/Health Science 


BTEC (QCF) National Diploma

Minimum grades DM (Distinction, Merit) in a related subject.

GCSE English, Maths and Biology (preferred), Chemistry or Physics at Grade C/4.

Related subjects: Health and Social Care/Applied Sciences/Sports Science/Health Science 


Irish Leaving Certificate

Pre-2017 Grading System

B3, B3, B3 at Higher Level preferably to include English or Literary subject* and a Science**

B2 in two Ordinary Level subjects including Maths.

New Grading System

H3, H3, H3 at Higher Level preferably to include English or Literary subject* and a Science**

O3 in two Ordinary Level subjects including Maths.

HNC

Pass in a related subject* with Grade C in the graded unit for Year 1 entry.

*Care and Administrative Practice

*Social Care, Social Services, Childhood practice (National 5 grade C in Maths and Science (Biology - preferred, Chemistry or Physics).

* Applied Science (National 5 grade C in English)


FETAC Level 5 Pre-Nursing Studies

Minimum of 6 Distinctions must be achieved overall. Distinctions must also be achieved in the Communication Unit and the Anatomy and Physiology Unit.

B2/O3 in Ordinary Level Maths in Irish Leaving Certificate.

Interview requirements

There will be a selection interview and all candidates must meet NMC requirements of good health and good character. Competition for places varies from year-to-year and achievement of the typical minimum entry requirements does not always guarantee shortlisting for interview or a place on the course.

Admission to the Programme is dependent upon a satisfactory Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG) Check. This will be sent to you prior to interview and will be conducted on the interview day.  The cost of the PVG check will be paid by the University.

Deferred Applications

Please note that we cannot accept applications for deferred entry for this course.

Previous Nursing Students

Please note that students who have already studied a Nursing degree are unlikely to receive funding for a second Nursing degree.

Mature students

Adequate and appropriate previous (and recent) study is essential. Please contact us at nursingandmidwifery@napier.ac.uk if you are unsure whether or not you would be eligible to apply. Relevant work experience will be considered alongside recent study.It may necessary for those with limited qualifications to undertake an Access course or other appropriate courses/studies in a Further Education setting.

Subjects required

*Literary Subjects include: English/English Literature; History; Modern Studies; Religious, Moral & Philosophical Studies/Christian Theology; Psychology, Geography, Sociology, Health and Social Care, Law.

**Science Subjects include: Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, PE

English Language Requirements

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test. The English Language requirements for this programme are IELTS 7.0 (with no less than 7.0 in each component).  For guidance on the acceptability of other English Language tests please contact ugadmissions@napier.ac.uk.

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English. Check our country pages to find out if this applies to you.

International students

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
Entry requirements by country

Please note that non-EU international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BN Nursing/MN Nursing (Adult, Child, Mental Health or Learning Disability)
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery

Admissions policies

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies
Postgraduate admissions policies

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees
Students from 2018/19 2019/20
Scotland/EU Fees are funded by the NHS Scotland* Fees are funded by the NHS Scotland*
England Wales and Northern Ireland £9,000** £9,250**


*Students should apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for funding.

**Following the decision of the UK Government to remove the health bursary in England and move to a loans based support package for nursing, midwifery and AHP students from academic year 2017/18, the Scottish Government has confirmed that students commencing study on Nursing and Midwifery undergraduate programmes in September 2017 will be able to apply for tuition fee and living cost support from their home funding body.

Nursing students will also be eligible to apply for the University’s own generous package of financial support for students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Further guidance can be found here

Careers

Nursing students grouped around a 'patient'

This qualification will give you excellent career prospects, in hospitals and the community; in voluntary organisations and across the private sector.

Our graduates have gone on to gain employment across Scotland and you will also be able to work anywhere within the UK.