What you will study
Mental health nursing is underpinned by the notion of 'recovery', and you work collaboratively with service users to build on their strengths and manage their problems to encourage the best quality of life.
The first year is divided into two parts. In part one you will undertake a bridging module introducing you to the foundations of nursing.
In part two you will look at the context of nursing within mental health. In your second year (part three) you will learn about the analysis and application of research and evidence base, the complexities of nursing at an individual and organisational level as well as preparing for your transition to registered nurse.
Year 1 modules (parts one and two)
Year 1 introduces the foundations of nursing and healthcare. You will study the role of the mental health nurse and the diverse needs and contexts of mental health service users.
Core modules
Foundations of life sciences for graduates
15 credits
This module is a core requirement for all students on the MSc Nursing course. It explores the foundations of human anatomy and physiology, including the body's systems, mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis, genomics and human development across the lifespan. Selected pathophysiology will be introduced in relation to commonly encountered health conditions and students will also begin to develop their knowledge of pharmacological concepts relating to nursing. This will provide students with key underpinning knowledge which will facilitate the exploration of person-centred assessment and care later in the programme.
Establishing the fundamentals of nursing care
30 credits
This module is a core requirement for all students on the MSc Nursing course. It introduces students to the fundamental principles of nursing and person-centred care, the determinants of health and well-being, compassionate communication and contemporary health policy. It enables the student to develop critical knowledge, skills and professional attitudes for the delivery of safe and effective person-centred care of individuals and their families or carers across a variety of settings. Students will begin to establish a sense of their nursing field identity but also that of other fields in order to promote effective interdisciplinary and integrated care.
Assessment and care process in mental health nursing
30 credits
This module focuses on knowledge and skills necessary to deliver safe and competent practice and recovery focused care. It will focus on assessment and implementing and evaluating critically a range of evidence-based care interventions within a variety of mental health settings. Students will have the opportunity to develop, practise and reflect critically upon their knowledge and skills of key evidence-based interventions designed to meet the holistic needs of service users and carers. Students will be able to explore the importance of measuring outcomes in care and evaluating the clinical effectiveness of their own performances through reflective practice.
Collaborative working for health and well-being in mental health nursing
30 credits
This module focuses on students developing critical knowledge of shared decision making and collaborative working with service users, families and carers to promote health and well-being. Students will critically consider the complexity of individual, social and service factors contributing to poorer physical health outcomes and inequalities experienced by people with serious and complex mental health needs. The module will support students to consider both co-productive and integrated models of care and support to promote parity of esteem.
Introduction to professional practice
15 credits
This module will prepare the student for their role in practice. The focus is to introduce a range of nursing procedures to enable students to provide skilled, evidence-based, person-centred care to people at any stage of life who may have a range of physical, mental, cognitive or behavioural health conditions. It is a generic module where all fields of nursing are engaged with core nursing procedures as identified by the NMC Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses (NMC, 2018).
Developing professional practice
30 credits
This module will develop the skills taught and practised in the introduction to professional practice in Year 1. Students will be able to assess, plan and rationalise the nursing care they provide for people in health and social care and community settings. The emphasis will be on holistic person-centred care covering physical, psychological, social and cultural care. It will look at evidence-based, person-centred care being delivered inter- and intra-disciplinary.
Year 2 modules (part three)
Year 2 examines the analysis and application of research and evidence and the complexities of nursing at individual and organisational levels. You will learn a range of psychological approaches used in clinical practice and prepare for your transition to registered nurse.
Core modules
Safe and effective quality care in mental health nursing
30 credits
This module will provide the mental health nursing student with the theoretical knowledge and skills required for their future role as a qualified mental health nurse when contributing to risk monitoring, quality care provision and optimised service improvements. The student will learn to manage and prioritise clinical actions, participate in clinical audit activities for quality and service improvements and learn to avoid compromising quality care using evidence-based knowledge and experience from practice. Regulations essential for maintaining safety at work and in different care environments will be covered. Students will learn about collaborative interdisciplinary working, whilst collectively developing effective improvement strategies. Some sessions will be shared across fields as they are core for all fields.
Coordinating the care of people with complex mental health care needs
30 credits
This module will provide the student with the underpinning knowledge and skills required for their future leadership role in providing, leading and coordinating care that is compassionate, evidence based and group/person-centred across a range of organisations and settings.
Experts from practice will be involved in the learning and teaching, supporting students through a range of complex case studies and current socio economical and workforce challenges. The student will build on their knowledge of partnership and collaborative working and examine the cultural, political, psychosocial and technological influences on nursing care, resource management and finances. It acknowledges that mental health nursing should take into consideration the individual's wishes, their culture and the services available within the current political landscape. It expands the students' consideration of the care environment and service provision, to provide enhanced co-ordinated care delivery. The student will explore current models of health care provision, based on practice experience, changes in political, economic, technological and social environments. The student will build on their knowledge of partnership and collaborative working and examine the cultural, political, psychosocial and technological influences on nursing care, resource management and finances.
Leadership in mental health nursing
30 credits
Navigating the transition from student to a professional practitioner who is skilled at leading teams is critically important to the delivery of safe, effective and high quality health care. This module is designed to prepare the mental health student for professional nursing practice by expanding their knowledge and skills to enable them to be an accountable and compassionate leader within the health and social care system. It focuses on leadership, team working, and performance management and enables mental health nursing students to reflect on their transition to registered practice and build the evidence base for a career development portfolio. Some sessions will be shared across fields as they are core for all fields.
Advancing professional practice
30 credits
This module advances the skills taught and practised in Year 1 in order to prepare students for their transition to working as a registered nurse. The module focuses on the assessment and management of patients with complex health care needs, working in partnership with other health care professionals. Students will integrate their clinical and communication skills with evidence based knowledge to become clinically proficient and confident nurses. It is a generic module where all fields of nursing learn with and from each other.
