BSc (Hons) Nursing (Nursing Associate Pathway) (Mental Health) at University of Salford

Mental health nursing is a demanding yet rewarding career. This 18-month accelerated programme will give you the knowledge and skills to aid people to have more involvement and control over their mental health by promoting and supporting people in a variety of health and social care settings.

Faculty: Nursing and Midwifery  |  Duration: 18 months; Overview; How you'll learn; Future careers; Modules; Entry requirements; Fees and funding; How to apply; to this course; Ask a question; Overview; Please note that this programme is currently undergoing a review. As a result, elements of the course structure, module content, assessment methods, and delivery may change for the upcoming academic year. Final details will be confirmed as soon as the review is complete.; Mental health nurses work in hospitals or in the community, offering support, education and care to people using mental health services. On this course, you will experience the realities of contemporary 24-hour service provision when caring for patients across all aspects of the health/ill health continuum.; 50% of your studies will be spent in hospital and community settings, within the NHS and independent sector which includes prison placements, where you will spend time in a well-supported environment, working alongside qualified practice assessors and supervisors.; This accelerated programme is NMC approved and on successful completion you will have a recognised degree qualification that leads to registration as a qualified nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.; You will:; Learn how to support people during the most acute phases of their distress; Learn how to work with people who have issues around substance misuse or offending behaviour; Learn how to help those with ongoing mental health conditions; Two student nurses using a dummy to practice CPR; Human patient manakin in a hospital bed; Simulation Flat used by MH Nursing students; Six students in nursing suite with text 'We are the school of health and society'; This is for you if...; 1.; You are hardworking and committed; 2.; You are prepared to work shifts; 3.; You are a compassionate and caring character; 4.; You can see yourself working with people from all kinds of backgrounds; 5.; You want to make a real difference; 6.; You have a strong desire to help people; School of Health and Society; The School of Health and Society is a forward-thinking, dynamic school with a commitment to lifelong learning and real world impact.; Our courses are informed by the latest research and we work closely with organisations from both the public and private sector to ensure our teaching is at the forefront of practice.; Explore our school; Facilities; Our Clinical Practice Wards are located in the Mary Seacole Building. There are four rooms designed to give the look and feel of a hospital environment. The rooms are furnished with patient's beds, lockers, chairs, sinks and curtains as well as audio-visual equipment, internet and a teaching area.; We also have a number of clinical skills rooms that enhance student learning from taking blood pressure, to giving CPR and more complicated procedures. Along with nursing skills rooms where you can practice in a ward situation, there are basic skills rooms for sessions such as moving and handling.; Patient Simulators; The; patient simulation laboratory; provides you with the opportunity to tackle real-life scenarios in a safe and supported environment. Set up like a hospital ward, the lab contains hi-tech patient simulators that can mimic everything from the common cold to a major heart condition.; The equipment includes:; Emergency Care Patient Simulators: Anatomically correct, feature-rich mannequins, which can be used for the physical demonstration of various clinical signs including bleeding, breathing, blinking eyes and convulsions.; iStan Patient Simulators: A step up from the ECS, the iStan adds an essential human element to patient simulation. It moves, breathes, can cry out or moan with pain, providing a realistic patient for you to practice on; Pedia Patient Simulator: A complete reproduction of a six-year-old child enabling you to practice paediatric scenarios; Baby simulator: This mannequin makes it possible to interact with our most vulnerable patients - in a safe, realistic learning environment; All the simulation equipment can be linked up to some very hi-tech computer and audio-visual aids. Groups of students get to role-play a wide range of different scenarios, with a lab co-ordinator observing, running and intervening in the scenario remotely.; Sophisticated computer equipment can also provide detailed physiological information for each of the simulators under observation. The lab will help you develop the clinical skills you need but also the high level communication skills that will make a real difference to your patients.; How you'll learn; What will I be doing?; 50%; clinical practice; 50%; Teaching; A blended learning approach will provide the foundation to the teaching and learning strategy by way of seminars, masterclasses, action learning, guided independent study, simulation and workshops. Theoretical learning will be complemented by a field of practice and level-specific seminar group facilitation, discussion, dissemination and formative feedback.; The course has an equal split between time spent in theory and time spent in practice.; Assessment; Written assignments; Presentations; Observed structured clinical examinations; Presentations either delivered live or recorded; Exams; And assessments in practice; Future careers; As a graduate and qualified staff nurse in your chosen field of practice you will be able to apply for a job in either an acute setting such as a hospital or in the community. You may want to work within the NHS or in the public and private sectors for example, a ward, a health centre, a prison, a care home or a hospice.; A taste of what you could become; a qualified nurse; and more...; Career Links; You will work alongside a qualified practice assessors and supervisors in practice learning areas where you will experience a wide variety of care-giving settings. You will be expected to work the same shift patterns as your practice supervisor (including weekends and night duty) and will need to be able to travel to and from clinical placements.; You will spend half of your time at the University and the other half working in hospital and community settings, within the NHS and independent sector. These practice learning opportunities will be across the Greater Manchester area including Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham and Rochdale.; Modules; The accelerated nursing programme is designed for applicants who have a Level 5 Nursing Associate Foundation Degree (FdSc). As a successful applicant you will join at the 18th month point of the programme. Your initial study will focus on appraising your existing knowledge and skills and building on these in order to demonstrate your suitability for entry onto the NMC register as a Registered Nurse.; Our nursing programmes embody a shared philosophy that represents the values and beliefs of key partners, including: students, patients, service users and families, practice colleagues and university staff. Theoretical underpinnings of the philosophy include: nursing ethics, personalisation, and a safety model ensuring the safety and protection of people of all ages and their carers and families.; Key concepts support the development of professional behaviours, inter-professional working, values and attitudes expected of a compassionate nurse, such as: connectedness, emotional intelligence, and moral responsibility and creativity.; You will work with staff and clinical partners as co-creators in your learning experience. A coaching approach to personal tutoring will unlock your potential and character development as a professional nurse.; A wealth of facilities at university are available to you, including formal teaching, group and one-to-one sessions, a comfortable and enriching learning space with state-of-the-art clinical and immersive simulation suites.; 50% of your studies will be spent across hospital and community settings, working alongside qualified assessors and supervisors. You will experience the realities of 24-hour service provision working night shifts and weekends. You may also have the opportunity to go on an international placement.; Initial 6 months; Exploring Nursing Evidence and Interventions; You will explore the nursing process as a means of understanding the nurses’ roles and responsibilities in assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation, as well as the knowledge and skills required to effectively carry these out. You will also explore how evidence is produced and applied to practice within healthcare, as well as specifically within Adult Nursing. This exploration of evidence-based practice will also examine the process by which nurses co-develop and negotiate care that encompass both the best available evidence and the patient’s own preferences and needs.; Exploring the Fundamentals of Integrated Nursing Practice; You will demonstrate the required NMC proficiencies in relation to your stage of learning and development in year two with Adult Nursing and interprofessional practice (NMC part 2 progression). This will include developing skills in looking outwards from one’s own profession to consider relationships with other professional/non-professional people and the impact this has on care delivery.; Final year; Being an Autonomous Mental Health Practitioner; You will develop the knowledge, skills and professional attitudes to facilitate the critical, systematic and contemporary application of the evidence base required to demonstrate autonomous nursing practice. This will be achieved through the delivery of a blended learning approach by way of seminars, masterclasses, action learning sets, practice and guided independent study. A feature of this module will be that some of the master classes will be delivered by specialist clinicians focusing upon quality, safety and personalised care across health and social care.; Being an Inspiring Mental Health Practitioner; You will build upon your developing knowledge, skills and professional attitudes to facilitate the critical application of the evidence base required to demonstrate inspirational nursing practice. Aspects of leadership, management, team working and exploration of evidence based nursing practice, linked to both pathogenesis and salutogenesis will be implicit throughout.; Part 3 Nursing Practice; You will demonstrate the required NMC proficiencies in relation to your stage of learning and development in year three with Adult Nursing and interprofessional practice (NMC Part 3 progression). This module prepares you for registration as an adult nurse and will include developing skills in looking outwards from one’s own profession to consider relationships with other professional/nonprofessional people and the impact this has on care delivery. You will be able to demonstrate a greater depth of knowledge and the additional more advanced skills required to meet the specific care needs of people in your field of nursing practice.; Leading Mental Health Nursing; This 20-credit module will enable the student to consolidate their learning and demonstrate a critical understanding of looking outwards from one's own profession to consider relationships with other professional/non-professional people and the impact this has on care delivery in Mental Health Nursing practice.; We take a flexible approach to our course delivery that promotes diversity and inclusivity and provides a blended learning experience, which will vary to meet specific programme requirements. This learning time includes formal lectures and interactive activities such as seminars, tutorials, practical sessions, laboratory and studio learning. Smaller classes may be used to support collaborative activities such as project and group work and presentations. A range of different assessments and feedback is offered to meet the needs of both our diverse student body and specific subject needs.; Our undergraduate courses are normally made up of 20 credit modules which are equal to 200 hours of learning time. A three-year degree qualification typically comprises a total of 360 credits (120 credits per year).; Please note that exact modules and content offered may vary in order to keep content current and, for courses that offer optional modules, may depend on the number of students selecting particular options. When accepting your offer of a place to study on a programme with optional modules, you should be aware that optional modules may not all run each year. Your tutor will be able to advise you as to the available options on or before the start of the programme. Whilst the University tries to ensure that you can undertake your preferred options, it cannot guarantee this.; Entry requirements; Applicant profile; Nursing is not a nine-to-five job. Neither is being a student nurse:; You will be expected to work the same shifts as your practice supervisor in hospital and community settings; You do not get long holiday breaks; our course works on the basis of seven weeks of annual leave per year (six weeks are allocated and non-negotiable plus one week of flexible annual leave); Your placement may be up to 90 minutes away from the University of Salford; As part of the application process, you may be invited to complete an assessment / attend an online activity. If this is the case, we will contact you with further details.; English language requirements; If you are an international student and not from a majority English-speaking country, you will need IELTS 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in writing. We also accept a range of other; English language qualifications; . If you do not have the English language requirements, you could take the; Pre-Sessional English course; to gain entry onto this degree.; Standard entry requirements; GCSE; GCSE English and maths at grade c/grade 4 minimum (or equivalent); The GCSE requirement is in addition to the Level 5 qualification detailed below.; It is preferred that applicants already hold grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language/Literature and Mathematics GCSE or an approved alternative qualification, prior to making their application. Applicants who are in the process of completing their GCSE English Language and Mathematics or level 2 equivalents; may; also be considered.; For applicants who do not hold GCSE Mathematics grade C/4 or above, the following qualifications may be considered: Level 2 Functional Skills in Mathematics or a Maths Equivalency Test. For more information please visit the; Equivalency Testing; website.; Level 5 qualification; You will need a Level 5 Nursing Associate Foundation Degree completed within the last 5 years (registration with the NMC is not required).; Current NMC Registered Nurse Associates are eligible and welcome to apply.; Not sure how many UCAS points you have?; Use our UCAS Tariff Calculator; to find out.; Fees and funding; Your fees for the 6-month portion of the programme will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.; Additional funding support for healthcare students; The NHS Learning Support Fund is available to students studying Diagnostic Radiography, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Prosthetics and Orthotics, Midwifery, and Nursing (adult, child, mental health, learning disability, joint nursing/social work).; Visit the; NHSBSA; website for further information.; 2027/28; Type of study; Fees; Full-time; £10,050; per year; Part-time; Part time fee will be calculated on a pro rata basis; The tuition fees shown are for the first year only. If your course lasts longer than one year, fees may increase each year in line with inflation, up to the maximum limits set by the UK Government.; Additional costs; For more information about uniforms, DBS, Occupational Health clearance, and immunisations, visit our Student Onboarding DBS and Occupational Health page. You should consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits.; How to apply; Still have some questions? Register for one of our; Open Days; or; contact our enquiries team; :; [email protected]; +44 (0)161 295 4545; Enrolment dates; April 2027; Student information; Terms and conditions; UCAS information; Course ID; B716; Institution; S03; How to apply; Related courses; Looking for more?; BSc (Hons); Nursing (Nursing Associate Pathway) (Adult); Adult nurses work in hospitals or in the community, offering support, education and care...; BSc (Hons); Learning Disabilities Nursing and Social Work (Integrated Practice); This exciting and innovative course offers you the opportunity to study for, and to...; Popular links; Find a course; Open Days; Virtual tour; Accommodation; Student support teams; Get in touch; Contact us; Course enquiries; Travel to the university; Quick links; Campus accessibility; Data protection and privacy; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Legal and regulatory information; Modern slavery statement; Student complaints; Term dates; Web Accessibility statement; Questions; How do I apply for an undergraduate course?; How do I apply for a postgraduate course?; How much does a course cost?; How do I change my course?; Facebook; Instagram; LinkedIn; TikTok; X; Youtube; Copyright ©; 2026; University of Salford; Manage privacy settings  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Intake: April 2027  |  Location: Salford, England, United Kingdom

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