Keele University

What you'll study

This honours degree combines academic study, clinical skills development and structured practice placements to prepare you for professional registration as a mental health nurse. Core themes include assessment and formulation, therapeutic communication, risk management, psychopharmacology, recovery‑focused care, safeguarding, and legal and ethical practice in mental health.

• Year 1: Foundations of nursing practice, anatomy and physiology relevant to mental health, introduction to therapeutic relationships, basic pharmacology, and supervised practice placements to develop core communication and assessment skills.
• Year 2: Intermediate clinical skills, mental health across the lifespan (including older adults, working‑age adults and young people), group and family interventions, evidence‑based practice and research methods, and longer practice placements in community and inpatient settings.
• Year 3: Advanced practice and leadership, complex care and crisis intervention, service development and quality improvement, preparation for transition to qualified practice, and a research or service evaluation project.

Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, simulation and skills sessions in clinical laboratories, case‑based learning, interprofessional learning with allied health disciplines, and extensive supervised placements with NHS trusts and partner organisations. Service user and carer involvement is embedded throughout the programme to ensure learning is grounded in lived experience.

Entry requirements

Applicants are normally expected to have completed secondary qualifications such as A‑levels, a vocational qualification (for example BTEC), or an access to higher education diploma demonstrating ability to study at degree level. A science or health‑related subject is desirable but not always essential; relevant experience in health or social care is welcomed.

• GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics at a standard equivalent to grade C/4 or above are typically required.
• Applicants will be invited to a values‑based selection process and interview to assess suitability for professional practice.
• Offers are conditional on satisfactory occupational health checks, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, and any required immunisations.

Career prospects

Graduates qualify to apply for registration as a Registered Nurse (Mental Health) with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, enabling practice across a wide range of roles. Typical first destinations include inpatient psychiatric wards, community mental health teams, crisis resolution and home treatment teams, early intervention services, liaison psychiatry, and specialist services for older adults, perinatal mental health or substance misuse.

With experience, mental health nurses move into advanced clinical roles such as nurse practitioner, team leader or clinical supervisor, and into non‑clinical roles in service development, education, policy and research. Many postgraduates progress to master's programmes, prescribing courses, or doctoral study to specialise further.

Why study at Keele University

Keele offers an integrated campus environment with strong links to regional NHS trusts and community providers, providing diverse placement opportunities across inpatient, community and voluntary settings. The programme emphasises interprofessional learning so students work alongside other health and social care disciplines, reflecting the teamwork central to contemporary mental health services.

Students benefit from small‑group teaching, simulation suites and skills laboratories, and teaching informed by research and clinical leadership within the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Dedicated student support services, practice placement coordinators and personal tutors help prepare you for a safe and effective transition into professional practice.