Nursing Dual Award

A dual nursing award in adult and mental health nursing is an unusually ambitious qualification that prepares graduates to practise as registered nurses in two distinct fields of practice. Adult nursing addresses the full range of physical health conditions across the lifespan, from acute medical and surgical care to long-term conditions, rehabilitation and palliative care. Mental health nursing focuses on supporting people experiencing mental illness, psychological distress and complex emotional and behavioural needs.

The two fields intersect constantly in clinical practice, and professionals who understand both are genuinely valued.

This four-year full-time programme at the University of Derby enables graduates who do not hold a prior degree to achieve a Masters level award alongside NMC registration in both adult and mental health nursing. The four-year structure is specifically designed to provide the depth of academic study and clinical experience needed to qualify in two fields simultaneously, and it produces graduates whose breadth of clinical knowledge and professional competence is greater than a single-field programme. The programme is designed as a holistic learning experience, developing the emotional resilience and transformational leadership capabilities that registered nurses of the future will need.

Graduates register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as registered nurses in two fields, giving them significantly greater flexibility in where they can work and what clinical roles they can take on. Hospitals, community health services, mental health trusts, learning disability services, forensic settings and primary care all need nurses with the combination of physical and mental health knowledge that this award provides. Many graduates go on to develop advanced practice in one of the two fields, or to pursue leadership, education and research roles within nursing.