Overview
This programme at Plymouth University prepares students to become registered mental health nurses, blending academic study with substantial hands-on clinical experience. Learners build therapeutic relationships and communication skills while working alongside people navigating recovery from complex mental health conditions. The course reflects an ongoing national need for skilled mental health professionals across community, primary, and acute care settings.

What You'll Learn

• Foundations of professional nursing practice, accountability, and the use of evidence in healthcare decisions

• Person-centred communication and therapeutic relationship-building skills

• Human biology and development across the lifespan, and how these relate to nursing care

• Assessment, planning, and evaluation of nursing care across varied health and social contexts

• Research methods and evidence-informed decision making, alongside pharmacology and safe medicines management

• Pathophysiology of common health conditions and approaches to public health and health promotion

• Advanced therapeutic approaches for supporting people with serious or complex mental health needs

• Leadership, team working, and critical appraisal of research to support professional practice

• Extensive placement learning across a range of clinical and community settings

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, graduates will be able to build and sustain therapeutic, person-centred relationships with individuals experiencing a wide range of mental health needs. They will apply evidence-based knowledge of human biology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology to assess, plan, and deliver safe, effective nursing care. Students will develop the confidence to work independently and collaboratively across interprofessional teams, exercising leadership and critical thinking in complex care situations. Graduates will also gain the values, knowledge, and clinical competence required to practise autonomously as registered mental health nurses.