Nursing
Children's and Mental Health Nursing covers two of the most important and distinct specialisms in the nursing profession. Children's nursing focuses on the care of babies, children and young people from birth through to early adulthood, requiring an approach that is responsive to the developmental stage of each patient and that works closely with families and carers as partners in care. Mental health nursing is concerned with supporting people experiencing mental illness, psychological distress and emotional difficulties, requiring particular skill in building therapeutic relationships, managing risk and working collaboratively with individuals and the multidisciplinary team over time.
Together they address some of the most emotionally demanding and socially significant aspects of healthcare.
At the University of Bradford this four-year full-time degree introduces you to both fields, with the first two years providing an integrated foundation alongside adult nursing students that builds the core knowledge and skills required to meet the needs of all patient groups safely. The dual-field structure means you develop expertise in children's and mental health nursing specifically, qualifying you to practise in both specialisms, which is a distinctive and valuable outcome in a healthcare workforce where both fields face significant staffing challenges. The programme includes the supervised practice placements required for NMC registration.
Graduation and NMC registration open the door to work as a qualified nurse in children's and mental health settings across the NHS and independent sector. Many graduates begin in ward, community or inpatient mental health roles before developing specialist expertise in areas such as child and adolescent mental health services, neonatal nursing, paediatric intensive care, eating disorders, crisis intervention or community mental health. Career progression can lead to specialist practitioner, advanced practice and leadership roles, and the dual-field training gives graduates particular flexibility across the workforce.