Nursing

Mental health nursing is one of the most demanding, significant, and rewarding careers in healthcare. Mental health nurses support people experiencing conditions that affect their thinking, feeling, perception, and behaviour, from psychosis and severe depression to personality disorders, eating disorders, and substance misuse. The work requires clinical competence, exceptional relational skills, an understanding of how trauma shapes human experience, and the capacity to work with genuine empathy within professional boundaries, often in situations of high complexity and distress.

At the University of Plymouth, the Nursing (Mental Health) programme prepares you for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Registered Nurse specialising in mental health. You will develop understanding of the biological, psychological, and social dimensions of mental health alongside the clinical skills needed to assess, plan, and deliver care in collaboration with service users and their families. The programme engages directly with professional standards, the use of evidence in nursing practice, and the role of digital tools in healthcare, reflecting the contemporary realities of the profession.

Practice placements are an essential component, giving you experience across a range of mental health settings under the supervision of registered nurses.

The programme is offered part time, making it accessible to students who are managing other commitments alongside their studies. Graduates work in inpatient settings, community mental health teams, crisis and home treatment teams, forensic mental health services, older adult mental health services, and child and adolescent mental health services. Further study options include postgraduate programmes in advanced mental health practice, cognitive behavioural therapy, and nursing leadership.