COURSE OVERVIEW
Mental health nurses play a vital role in supporting people of all ages and backgrounds at some of the most difficult and challenging times of their lives.
Our three-year degree course in Mental Health Nursing will give you the theoretical and practical knowledge you need to provide high quality, compassionate nursing care for improving mental health and well being. During the course you will improve the care and treatment of people using mental health services their carers and their families.
You will develop keen interpersonal and communication skills to prepare you for working as part of a team that includes psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, community workers and occupational therapists.
Half of your teaching takes place in the university on our Singleton Park campus and the other half in healthcare settings. We have excellent links with Welsh health boards and many healthcare providers, so you will have access to a wide range of clinical experiences across south west Wales.
These could include community health care centres, hospitals and specialist areas in forensic, child and adolescent, drug and alcohol and older persons nursing.
WHY MENTAL HEALTH NURSING AT SWANSEA UNIVERSITY?
We have an outstanding reputation for nursing at Swansea and are ranked:
- 2nd in the UK for Nursing (Guardian University Guide 2019)
- 15th out of 71 (Times and Sunday Times 2019)
We are also the 2019 winner of the Nurse Education Provider of the Year Award at The Student Nursing Times Awards.
Our academic staff are qualified nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals, many of whom are also practising clinicians, providing an exceptional combination of theoretical rigour, professional insight, and practical expertise.
We have very strong links with Welsh health boards, opening up clinical placement opportunities for you in hospitals or community mental health teams in both urban and rural locations.
If you are a UK student who can commit to working in Wales for two years after graduating, you could get your tuition fees covered in full through the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme, as well as maintenance funding of up to £4,491 and a reduced rate loan from Student Finance.
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH NURSING EXPERIENCE
Our excellent facilities in the College of Human and Health Sciences include a realistic clinical suite so you can put your theoretical knowledge into practice in an environment that reflects as closely as possible the actual conditions that you will experience when you go on placement in a hospital or community setting.
You will have the opportunity to apply to study abroad with one of our partner universities in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Slovenia, or Sweden.
You can also study some modules through the medium of Welsh and may be eligible for internal scholarships or support through Coleg Cymraeg.
MENTAL HEALTH NURSING CAREERS
On graduation, you will be eligible to apply for Registered Nurse (Mental Health) status with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and to register as a nurse for work in EU and EEA.
Job prospects are excellent, with 100 per cent of our nursing graduates employed in a professional or managerial job within six months (Destination of Leavers from HE Study, 2018)
As your career develops you may choose to specialise in areas such as elderly care, crisis intervention or substance misuse. You could also become involved in education, research, or management roles.
You can expect a starting salary of £22,128 rising to £34,000 for a highly-experienced staff nurse. Specialist nurses and practice managers can earn £45,000.
