MENTAL HEALTH NURSING

This module will enable you to build on previous knowledge of physiology, pathophysiology, psychophysiology, mental state presentations, anatomy, and pharmacology knowledge acquired in Part 1, with a practical application to delivering care to patients in crisis. You will be taught to recognise the care requirements and the nursing interventions for patients who are in crisis through simulated practice, with an exploration and evaluation of a range of assessment methods and tools as well as supporting physical health. The module aims to define 'crisis care' delivered within a range of settings so you understand the complexities of prioritising and providing acute care to patients who are experiencing crisis. Reference will be made throughout the module to the legal-ethical framework, policies and the evidence-base that underpins safe practice delivery by nurses and the inter-professional team within a range of environments, including inpatient settings and community so that you can apply knowledge and skills into your practice. Legislative processes including the Mental Health Act (1983, updated 2025) and its application to practice will be taught.

This module will be delivered in the 2nd half of part 2 of the BSc (Hons) nursing programme and is bespoke to Registered Nursing Associates entering the degree programme with 50% recognition of prior learning (RPL). The module will prepare you for your practice placements and practice based learning opportunities that run across part 2 of the programme and provides skills support to the theory units delivered in parallel. The module's focus is the development of professional values and the delivery of safe, holistic compassionate care. This module defines the skills and proficiencies student nurses require by the end of Part 2 as outlined in the Practice Assessment Document (PAD Part 2), prior to moving onto Part 3.

This module will prepare you for your placements (18 weeks) with skills sessions and simulated practice learning (200 hours) that runs across part 2 of the programme. The module provides skills support to the theory units delivered in parallel. You will be provided time to enhance your practical skills by undertaking simulated- based learning activities within the university's health skills and simulation suites. The module's focus is the development of professional values and the delivery of safe, holistic compassionate care. This module defines the skills and proficiencies student nurses require by the end of Part 2 as outlined in the Practice Assessment Document (PAD Part 2), prior to moving onto Part 3. These skills and proficiencies include more critical and acute care skills for nursing acutely ill patients / service users in crisis, individuals with more complex care needs and individuals at the end of their lives.

There is a significant emphasis on evidence-based practice in health and social care and, as a healthcare practitioner, you will need to be able to justify the care that you choose to provide. This Level 5 module is designed to support you in building an understanding of the fundamentals of research and how research is embedded into healthcare practice This module will give you the skills to find research papers relating to a particular aspect of practice and how to use research methodology to understand, analyse and critique research papers, write a literature review and develop an action plan. You will build on your knowledge of the research process and research methodology gained from this module when studying the Evidence Based Service Improvement Project module at Level 6.

This module will consider the biological, psychological, and social impact of long-term Mental Health conditions on an individual, using sources of information from clinical experts, service-users, the evidence-base and reflecting on clinical practice experiences. Students will be supported to develop skills and critical knowledge to enable them to apply it to safe care delivery, for individuals diagnosed with chronic long-term mental health conditions. The concept of shared decision making, and the role of multi-professional care will be explored. The module promotes critical thinking through the application of evidence-based practice. The aim of the module is to enable students to identify, discuss and analyse the impact of long-term mental health conditions on the service-user, their family and/or support network. To enable students to critically discuss the shared decision-making process in the nursing care of people with long-term mental health conditions and co morbidities, using a multi-professional approach to care.

This module will prepare you for your placements (20 weeks) through skills practice and simulated practice learning (200 hours) that runs across part 3 of the programme. The module provides skills support to the theory units delivered in parallel. You will be provided time to enhance your practical skills by undertaking simulated- based learning activities within the university's health skills and simulation suites. The module's focus is the development of professional values and the delivery of safe, holistic compassionate care. This module defines the skills and proficiencies student nurses require by the end of Part 3 as outlined in the Practice Assessment Document (PAD Part 3), prior to registering as a Registered Nurse (Adult or Mental Health) on the Nursing and Midwifery Council Professional Register. These skills and proficiencies include leadership and management skills for nursing individuals with complex care needs across diverse care environments, as well as skills required to supervise and teach others.

The Progression to Registered Nurse module prepares final‑year Adult and Mental Health nursing students for autonomous practice as Registered Nurses. The module consolidates clinical, professional, and leadership skills, supporting you as you transition from being a supervised student nurse to be an accountable practitioner. You will engage in advanced clinical reasoning, reflective practice, leadership development, and evidence‑based decision‑making that aligns with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses (2018) and the expectations of practice settings. This module is aligned to a 14 week leadership and management placement where you will assessed on your professional practice, leadership, management, teamworking, teaching and supervision standards of proficiency.

Service improvement is at the heart of how we ensure and improve the quality of the service-user experience across health and social care environments. This module will provide you with the knowledge and skills to enable you to write a Service Improvement Project (dissertation) based on an evaluation of a student-selected aspect of a service in practice. Your project may relate to any aspect of a service which could be improved, with an aim of enhancing the service-user experience. This might relate to care in a clinical or community setting or may be concerned with processes and resources. The project needs to identify how the quality of care may be enhanced and good practice disseminated. In undertaking this module, you will receive practical advice, extend your academic knowledge, and have the support of a group of peers engaged in their own service improvement challenges. The six-week service improvement placement you attend within the module, will expose you to contemporary quality of care initiatives, audits, research projects, service improvements that are occurring within the organisation you are allocated to. Whilst working with your Practice Assessor/Practice Supervisors and the patient/client group, you will be able to explore your topic. During your placement, you will return to university on a set day each week for dissertation tutorial meetings with your project supervisor. Following the placement, you will use secondary evidence from a review of literature to appraise, evaluate and apply it to the service improvement issue. Within your summative report, you will be required to make analytical and objective judgements on the evidence and the potential impact on the quality and standards of care, safe working practices, risks, and service-user outcomes. You will also include realistic recommendations for achieving this in an action plan for practice, and deliver a poster presentation that provides an overview of your project and appraises the role of the nurse in service and quality improvement.