Nursing
Mental health nursing is a clinical profession that works with people experiencing a wide range of mental health difficulties, from anxiety, depression and psychosis to personality disorders, eating disorders and the mental health needs of older people with dementia. Mental health nurses assess need, deliver evidence-based therapeutic interventions, administer medication, provide crisis support and work collaboratively with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists to support recovery and wellbeing. The profession is central to the NHS mental health services that are under considerable and sustained pressure, and the demand for skilled mental health nurses continues to grow.
Nottingham Trent University's Return to Registered Nurse (R2RN) programme in mental health is a three-year full-time route designed for those who are returning to nursing after a break, building on prior nursing knowledge to restore and refresh competence for professional registration. The programme leads to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a registered nurse in the mental health field. The typical entry tariff is around 120 UCAS points, and the programme requires substantial NHS-approved clinical placement hours alongside the academic content.
You will study the theoretical foundations of mental health care, including psychological therapies and their evidence base, pharmacology and medicines management in mental health, risk assessment and crisis intervention, the legal and ethical framework of mental health law, and the social determinants of mental health. Clinical placements in a range of mental health settings, including inpatient wards, community mental health teams, crisis services and specialist units, give you the practical experience needed to practise as a registered nurse.
Graduates of mental health nursing programmes register with the NMC and work across the full range of NHS and independent mental health services, including inpatient, community, crisis, forensic, older people's and child and adolescent mental health services. Many nurses specialise over time in areas such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, dual diagnosis, dementia care or forensic mental health. Senior clinical, management, education and research roles are available with experience and further study.
Postgraduate qualifications in psychological therapies, leadership or specialist practice are well-established routes for career development.