Nursing Mental Health

Year 1

You will study the core themes of nursing, sciences, health, and practice learning. You will explore values-based professional, compassionate and family-centred care, health and wellbeing across the lifespan, and learn the essential skills to deliver safe nursing practice in a variety of settings in today’s multi-cultural environment.

Year 2

The core themes advance to a more complex level. Students in all fields will develop their ability to link and apply theory to practice, providing care to people who may be at any stage of life and who may have a range of mental, physical, cognitive or behavioural health challenges.

Year3

The final year allows students to focus on integrating the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for working autonomously in their primary chosen field. The themes from years 1 and 2 will be explored at a more complex level. You will also cover management, leadership and research skills in the healthcare environment.

Learning Methods

How long is a BSc Nursing (Mental Health) course?

The BSc Nursing (Mental Health) degree is taught over three years and each year has three terms, with 45 weeks of the year either in university or on placement in health and social care settings.

In each year you will study 4 modules, one practice learning module and three theory modules, which are divided up throughout the year and distributed equally in terms of time.

All modules are cumulatively assessed and must be passed to progress through the course.

Activity Summary

• Lectures - 220 students per group, on campus or online, 6 hours per week
• Tutorial - 30students per group, 6hours per week
• Practical class or workshop - 30 students per group, 6hours per week
• Directed / Private Study - 18 hours per week
• Placement / Work Based Learning - Students per group varies on placement, equivalent to 37.5 hours per week

Independent Study

Self-study, including learning in practice, is an important factor in your success. The modules of this course are delivered face-to-face and online. You will be expected to engage with online learning, access and complete all elements, and work independently through guided directed study. Strong organisation and self-direction skills are essential.

Clinical Simulation

A key part of the course is experiencing real-life clinical situations in a realistic and safe simulated environment. Using volunteer patients and a range of facilities across campus, you can practice your nursing care and deliver within various scenarios.

Watch our video on simulated learning:

Staff Delivering on This Course

A large percentage of Lecturers who teach on this course are registered Nurses themselves. They have a wide-range of experience from varied healthcare settings and have educational and research experience. As 50% of the course is delivered in practice, the School has strong links with all practice partners and some of the university teaching will be undertaken by nursing and healthcare staff who work locally. We also haveTechnology EnhancedAdvisors who support all our teaching and learning activities.

Many of our staff contribute nationally to enhance nursing and within the university are recognised by students within the STAR awards.

Assessment

Typically students are assessed eachyear:

Year 1

• 2 written assignments, including essays
• 1 practical skills assessment

Year 2

• 1 written exams, typically for 2.5 hours
• 1 written assignment, including essays
• 1 oral assessment
• 1 practical skills assessment

Year 3

• 1 written exam, typically for 2.5 hours
• 1 written assignment, including essays
• 1 project output
• 1 practical skills assessment

Feedback

We aim to provide you with feedback within 20 working days of hand-in for all written exams, coursework and practical exams.

Placements

You will undertake practice learning experiences from year 1 and gain an awareness of the varied and advancing nature of nursing. Practice learning will take place in a range of healthcare settings, across a range of geographical locations in Grampian, Highland, Orkney and Shetland, and each placement is the equivalent of 37.5hrs a week.

You will have the opportunity to learn within dynamic collaborative working teams which may consist of Doctors, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Pharmacists, Radiographers, Social Workers, Social Care Workers, Carers, Charities and Volunteers.

• Year 1 has 3 placements
• Year 2 has 3 placements
• Year 3 has 2 placements

Placements at RGU

Study Abroad

In years 2 and 3 there are opportunities to have an overseas experience such as an exchange visit to one of our overseas partners or attending an overseas conference. This is a perfect opportunity to experience healthcare provision and education in a different country and meet other students.

Job Prospects

Mental Health Nurses work with people of all ages and in a variety of environments both in the community, hospital and custodial settings.

Is Mental Health Nursing a good career choice?

There are a number of specialist areas within this exciting field of nursing such as:

• Forensics
• Problematic substance use
• Eating disorders
• Elderly
• Child and adolescence mental health.

Contemporary mental health nurses are part of multidisciplinary teams working alongside social workers, police, custodial officers, occupational therapists and midwives.