COURSE CURRICULUM

The BSc (Cur) Mental Health Nursing program is a four-year degree that combines academic study with extensive clinical practice to prepare students for professional mental health nursing careers. In the first year, students develop an understanding of mental health, distress, and illness, alongside approaches to care including psychotherapeutic skills and the recovery model. They also study biological sciences related to health and wellbeing, health promotion, psychosocial foundations of care, and the basics of professional nursing practice. In the second year, students focus on communication in community mental health settings, physical health and pharmacology in mental health care, and continue developing professional skills through practice placements, care management, and enhancing professional practice, along with an elective module. In the third year, learning becomes more specialised, focusing on working with people experiencing serious mental health problems and those with complex or multiple needs. Students also continue clinical placements while developing clinical judgement, professional practice, and foundational management skills, supported by an elective. In the final year, students complete further practice placements and focus on using research to improve nursing practice, as well as applied clinical management and interprofessional collaboration. Across the program, students integrate theory with real-world experience, developing the knowledge, skills, and therapeutic abilities needed to provide recovery-focused, person-centred mental health care in a variety of settings.