BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing
Key Details
- Award
- Degree of Bachelor of Science
- UCAS Course Code
- B760
- Typical Offer
- BBB
- Contextual Offer
- BCC
- Course Length
- 3 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2024
Why you should choose us
Course Overview
With one in four people experiencing symptoms of mental health problems during their lifetime and society’s increasing interest in and awareness of mental health and wellbeing, mental health nurses are in huge demand. At UEA, we strive to deliver the best education so that you can go on to deliver the best mental health care. As a mental health nurse, you’ll work alongside individuals and their families, empowering them to manage their conditions and work towards recovery through collaborative, person-centered assessment and care. You’ll work with a range of health and social care professionals to provide evidence-based interventions. This is challenging but important and rewarding work.
Study for your BSc Mental Health Nursing at UEA and you will benefit from service-user contact from the very outset and a personal mentor to guide you throughout.
As a student at UEA, you’ll study aspects of mental health nursing which include core nursing skills and those needed in more specialist mental health areas such as working with children and with people who have dementia.
Your studies will be split 50/50 between academic theory and hands-on practice. You’ll undertake a range of placements in the community, hospitals and specialist care units. You will study alongside other healthcare students, giving you a greater insight into the responsibilities and roles of other healthcare professions. You’ll graduate fully equipped with the skills and experience you will need for a career working with people with complex mental health problems.
With the NHS Constitution at its core, our Mental Health Nursing degree provides rigorous training, fantastic placement opportunities and is fully approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
Highlights of Mental Health Nursing at UEA:
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A wide range of placements including community settings, hospitals and specialist care units
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Regular group work with other healthcare students
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Excellent facilities including skills and simulation laboratories
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Research led teaching
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Exploration of contemporary practice in small seminar groups
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In your final year, you will participate in a five-week professional development placement. The practice area can be of your choice, with the option to apply for an international placement
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As a final year student, you will choose one module to study from a range of options that will give you an insight into an area of nursing that interests you
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Excellent facilities including anatomy suite, up-to-date simulation skills rooms and equipment
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Highly motivated students and support from student representatives
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A highly supportive culture
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A passionate teaching team with a rich and varied range of practice experience
Study and Modules
Structure
The course follows a traditional degree structure and is spread over three years. You will study alongside students from child and adult nursing, allowing you to benefit from interprofessional collaboration, the sharing of knowledge and clinical expertise.
In each year of the mental health nursing degree, you engage with both theory and practice learning. The degree alternates between academic terms and blocks of clinical practice.
In year 1 you will explore the nature of nursing, and develop your clinical and communication skills, which will be assessed in both the university and practice settings. You will also study the biological and behavioural sciences that inform nursing practice. As well as drawing on the psychiatric literature you will look at mental illness as a social construct. Looking at mental wellbeing as well as mental ill health.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Assessment
You’ll be assessed using a range of methods, carefully chosen to reflect your ability to apply the relevant theory to practice.
Year One assessment includes a range of contemporary approaches including written assignments, presentations and posters.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Structure
In your final year you will continue to specialise in the field of mental health nursing and will focus on more complex patient and client needs. You will also undertake a dissertation in a topic of your own choosing and begin to develop management and leadership skills as you prepare to enter professional practice.
Throughout the three years there is a strong emphasis on recovery and involving people in their care, with the aim of maximising achievements and social integration, positive mental health, values-based practice, and reflective practice.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
You’ll work closely with people experiencing mental health issues and their families and carers, gaining the confidence you need to begin your career as a mental health nurse after graduation. By the end of your course, you will have built up an individual learning profile, which will demonstrate that you have completed the requirements for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
One of our key aims is to promote your ability to learn autonomously and in partnership with others, including the wider healthcare team.
You’ll be encouraged to read and engage with a wide range of sources to aid your learning. You’ll have access to resources to support your learning and help you to develop an effective approach to self-directed study.
Each year you will also complete an online medicines calculation exam.
Assessment
In the final year, you will complete a project, which will illustrate your deeper understanding of the relationship between the theory and practice of nursing.
You’ll also be assessed in practice during your practice placements.
Entry Requirements
- A Levels
- BBB. If you are taking an EPQ and three A Levels, we may offer you a one grade reduction on our advertised typical offer alongside an A in the EPQ.
- T Levels
- Obtain an overall Pass including a B in the core of the T Level and a Merit in the Occupational Specialism. Acceptable subjects: Health, Healthcare Science, Science.
- BTEC
- DDM in Health, Care or Science. See below for accepted subjects and combinations.
- Contextual Offer
A Level – BCC
BTEC L3 Extended Diploma – DMM. See below for accepted subjects and combinations.
UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes.
- Access to HE Diploma
- Pass with Merit in 45 credits at Level 3, in a Health, Care or Science subject.
- International Baccalaureate
- 31 points
- English Foreign Language
If English is not your first language, we will require evidence of proficiency in English (including reading, writing, speaking and listening) at the level of IELTS 7.0 overall (minimum 7.0 in each component).
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
INTO UEA also offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:
- Interviews
The strongest applicants will be invited to interview. Please note that meeting (or being predicted to meet) the minimum academic entry requirements will not guarantee that you will be selected for interview.
Interview invitations will be sent by email. Please keep a close eye on all emails from UEA after you submit your UCAS application. For more information on the application process and what to expect at each step, take a look at our handy Applying to HSC infographic, which explains the application journey from start to finish.
Interview formatOur interviews for 2024 will take place on our campus. You will be invited to book your interview for a morning or afternoon session by email. The email will include the arrival time and building location. We use a variety of the buildings on our campus for interviews, but they will either be on our Main Campus or on our West Campus (which is around a 20-minute walk from the centre of the Main Campus, near the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital). The session will last no longer than 3 hours in total. Applicants who are based outside of the UK at the point of applying will be offered an online interview. The format will match the process outlined below as closely as possible.
As part of the session, you will take part in ‘multiple mini-interviews’ with academic members of staff from the School of Health Sciences at UEA, clinicians from the profession, service users* and/or current UEA students from the course.
*A ‘service user’ is someone who has access to use health or social care services or could be affected by the services of health and social care professionals.
You will undertake your ‘multiple mini-interview’ alongside 1 or 2 other applicants for the course. Together, you will be taken to your interview room, which will be furnished with three interview stations. You will attend each interview station in turn, rotating with the other applicants you have been grouped with.
Before you visit each interview station, you will be given time to read some information. The information will include the interview questions or topics that you will be asked about. You will then be given a set amount of time with the interviewer(s), who will ask you the questions verbally.
The other applicants who you have been grouped together with will be following the same process as you at the same time. They will be speaking to alternate interviewer(s) to you simultaneously. You will all continue the process above until you have been interviewed at all three interview stations.
As part of your interview day, you will also have an opportunity to join some other sessions, for which you will not be assessed. The sessions are an opportunity for you to learn more about the course, the university, the students that study here, and for you to ask questions of current students and teaching staff. There may be an opportunity to undertake some practical skills during some of these sessions, if possible. There may also be an opportunity to tour the teaching facilities. These parts of your interview day are not compulsory, and do not form part of the assessment.
Interview questionsAt each interview station you will be asked questions that focus on a particular domain. The order in which you are asked about these domains will be variable. The domains are:
- Your knowledge of the professional field for which you are applying.
- Your personal qualities and suitability for the profession. To help with discussion around this domain, you may be asked to consider a scenario and asked questions about how you would respond to it. You will be given time to read the scenario before you approach the interview station, and it will also be read to you by the interviewer(s).
- Your understanding of and suitability for the course at UEA.
On all interview stations, interviewers will also consider your understanding of the values that are required of a healthcare professional. This will include your understanding of moral and ethical values, competence, commitment to improve and personal accountability. You won’t necessarily be asked specific questions about these areas, but the information you include in your answers to all questions will be considered when the interviewer(s) assess you.
Interview Skills for Nursing Applicants - Free CourseTake advantage of our free course through Future Learn: Interview Skills for University Nursing Programme Applicants
This free one-week course aims to increase your chances of being accepted onto a UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved Nursing programme in the UK. You’ll be guided through the interview process to help you understand the purpose of the interviews and how they’re conducted. We introduce a range of resources, which will help you develop your knowledge of the Nursing profession and potential career pathways. Through information, guidance, and activities, you’ll learn how to identify transferable skills and relevant experiences that you can draw upon during your Nursing course interview, giving you the best chance of success.
Experience of healthcareWe are aware that it is a difficult time to try to gain relevant experience in healthcare. First time applicants to Nursing, Midwifery and the Allied Health Professions will all be in a similar situation.
Clinical work experience will not generally be a requirement for applying to train in healthcare. We will be looking for you to show that you are able to work with people, that you appreciate the health and social care setting, and that you understand what a career in health will involve. While we will expect you to show some understanding of what it is like to be the professional of your choice, part of this involves demonstrating that you know what it is like to work in a responsible role, particularly with the public.
Note that your experiences are only as valuable as the way you talk about them and what understanding you take from them. It is important that you think about how you might be able to demonstrate your understanding of healthcare, that you can relate this to experience or research, and that you can explain what you have learned.
What type of experience or research do you need?Any activity, life experience or research that helps you to prepare for training to be a healthcare professional will help. This means any activity that allows you to demonstrate that you have:
- Had people-focused experience of providing a service, care, support or help to others, and that you understand the realities of working in a caring profession.
- Developed some of the values, attitudes and behaviours essential to being a Nurse, Midwife or Allied Health professional such as conscientiousness, effective communication and the ability to interact with a wide variety of people. The values that we are looking for are set out in the NHS Constitution.
- A realistic understanding of Health and Social Care and in particular the physical, organisational and emotional demands of the career.
Practical ways to gain experienceKeep a reflective diary on what is happening in the news and online. Listen to what healthcare professionals have to say and reflect on this. All healthcare professionals can be a valuable source of information and experience, not just those that work in the specific profession that you are applying for. Demonstrating that you have a sense of all healthcare professions (and how they work together) will help you in both your personal statement and interview.
Volunteer in your spare time if you can, all forms of voluntary work can provide helpful work experience. If volunteer work in the NHS isn’t something that is available to you, think about what else you could explore i.e. working with other people in a caring or service role. Voluntary commitments to community groups (for example groups related to the work of churches, mosques and temples, or other groups such as Scouts or Guides) and online community support groups may also provide valuable experience of taking on responsibility, dealing with people and communicating effectively.
Remember: what is important is what you learn about yourself and about other people, and what you learn about how effective care is delivered and received. How you learn these things is only a small part of the story; it is how you communicate what you learnt that matters.
COURSE CONDITIONS
Offers will be made to applicants after completion of successful interviews, and will be subject to a satisfactory occupational health check (including evidence of appropriate immunisations), an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and two satisfactory references. We will let you know what you need to do (and when) to meet these conditions if you are successful in gaining an offer.
PLACEMENTS
During the course, no less than 50% of your time will be spent on practice placement. This might be in a variety of settings that include hospitals, community services, general practice, social services and voluntary or private organisations. Placement allocation occurs throughout the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.
As this course includes patient facing placements in health or social care settings, and these are a mandatory component of the course, you will need to comply with the placement vaccination policy. Failure to meet the placement vaccination policy may prevent you from joining the course or may lead to your withdrawal from the course in the future. Future employment may also be subject to this condition.
ASSESSING YOUR FITNESS TO BECOME A REGISTERED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL
Please see our guidance on assessing your fitness.
- Deferred Entry
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. If you intend to apply with deferred entry, please let us know about your gap year plans in your UCAS application.
ADMISSIONS POLICY
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.
- Intakes
This course is open to UK and overseas applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.
Additional Information or Requirements
2.2 or above
Grade requirements:
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DDM (made up of Extended Certificate, Diploma or Extended Diploma subjects)
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DD (made up of Extended Certificate or Diploma subjects) plus B at A Level
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D (Extended Certificate) plus BB at A Level
Subject requirements:
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Extended Diploma in any Health, Care or Science subject
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A combination of BTEC/OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 subjects, at least one of which is in Health, Care or Science*
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Any BTEC/OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 subjects taken in combination with A Levels*
*BTEC Public Services, BTEC Uniformed Services and BTEC Business Administration are not accepted to make up any grades
60% or above in Year 2, in a Health, Care or Science subject
65% or above in a Foundation Year of an undergraduate degree programme at a UK university, in a Health, Care or Science subject
2 subjects at H2, 4 subjects at H3
Grade B or above in Child Care and Education (Early Years Educator)
Grade B or above in one of the following subjects:
• Children's Care, Learning and Development
• Children and Young People's Workforce
• Health and Social Care (including Technical Level)
60 credits at 60% or above, in a Health, Care or Science subject
CCC or above
A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable, please contact Admissions for further information.
AABBB or above
We welcome and value a wide range of alternative qualifications, and we also recognise that some students might take a mixture of some of the qualifications above. If your qualifications aren’t listed, or if you are taking a combination of qualifications that isn’t specified, please contact Admissions.
UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes.
Please note that we do not consider A Levels in General Studies or Critical Thinking, Apprenticeships, NVQs (any level) or Work-based Level 3 Diplomas (previously NVQs) to meet the minimum academic entry requirements, although these can be used as evidence of recent study. We’ll also be unable to consider you for this course if you’ve obtained an academic fail from a previous health based degree programme, including where an exit award has been achieved.
Graduates may wish to consider our accelerated Masters programmes.
GCSE REQUIREMENTS
Mathematics and English Language at minimum grade C or grade 4 required, alongside all other specified requirements.
In place of English Language GCSE we can also consider:
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Functional Skills Level 2 English
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Essential Skills Wales L2 Communication
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Essential Skills Northern Ireland L2 Communication
In place of Mathematics GCSE we can also consider:
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Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics
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Essential Skills Wales L2 Application of Number
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Essential Skills Northern Ireland L2 Application of Number
RECENT STUDY
We would prefer you to be able to demonstrate evidence of recent academic study within 5 years of the start of the course. If your last qualification will have been completed more than 5 years ago by the time the course starts, please contact us via Admissions Enquiries.
AGE ON ENTRY
Applicants for this course need to be aged 18 or over by 31 December 2024. This is owing to the integrated nature of placements within the first year of the course and safeguarding implications. In view of this, applicants who will not be 18 years old or over by this date, should consider applying for deferred entry.
INTERNATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
We accept many international qualifications for entry to this course. For specific details about your country, view our information for International Students.
If you do not meet the academic and/or English language requirements for this course, entry is available through successful completion of an International Foundation at our partner INTO UEA (as well as a successful interview):
International Foundation in Pharmacy, Health and Life Sciences
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
View our information for Tuition Fees.
Scholarships and Bursaries
We are committed to ensuring that costs do not act as a barrier to those aspiring to come to a world leading university and have developed a funding package to reward those with excellent qualifications and assist those from lower income backgrounds. View our range of Scholarships for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
NHS Learning Support Fund
If you are eligible for tuition fee and maintenance support from the Student Loans Company, you can apply for additional financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund when studying this course.
Course Related Costs
How to Apply
Apply for this course through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS), using UCAS Hub.
UCAS Hub is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom.
Your application does not have to be completed all at once. Register or sign in to UCAS to get started.
Once you submit your completed application, UCAS will process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.
The Institution code for the University of East Anglia is E14.
View our guide to applying through UCAS for useful tips, key dates and further information:
Employability
After the Course
As a UEA Mental Health Nursing graduate, you’ll be a highly sought-after healthcare professional. Your placements will mean you will have accrued enough time in practice to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). You’ll graduate ready to start your career in a demanding yet rewarding environment such as:
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Mental health in-patient areas
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CAMHS Teams
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Dementia care services
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Perinatal mental health services
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Community Mental Health Teams
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ADHD Teams
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Eating Disorder Services
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Liaison Teams
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Mental health services in prisons
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Substance misuse services
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Research teams
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Education and training
Mental health nurses also work in areas where nurses from other fields of practice are based – for example, emergency departments and GP surgeries.
Careers
A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.
Examples of careers that you could enter include:
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UK NHS Health care providers
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Private organisations
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The voluntary sector
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International nursing opportunities
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Research institute
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Higher Education Institute
Discover more on our Careers pages.