Course details
- Full-time: 24 months
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Gain eligibility to apply for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a mental health nurse on this pre-registration master’s degree. With a grounding in mental health conditions, you’ll discover the professional standards for mental health nurses and how to lead the delivery of compassionate care in hospital, forensic and community settings.
This two-year master’s degree equips you with the knowledge, skills and professional attributes needed to become a mental health nurse.
We’ll prepare you to care for individuals across the lifespan, from child and adolescent mental health to conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
With an emphasis on evidence-based practice, the programme will reveal the indivisible link between mental and physical ill health. You’ll discover the principles of mental health nursing practice, local and global determinants of mental health, and how to manage complex care needs.
Your learning will be brought to life through extensive clinical experience, working with patients in a variety of settings, including inpatient wards and forensic and community settings.
Developed in collaboration with leading healthcare providers in the North West, the programme will be taught by experienced, working and registered practitioners. We’ll help you develop into a caring and compassionate nurse, able to support individuals and their families, and ready to lead and coordinate care as part of a multi-professional team.
On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be eligible to apply for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a mental health nurse.
The programme is a pre-registration award for graduates wanting to study mental health nursing for the first time at Masters level. Please note, it is not a professional development programme for qualified mental health nurses or a conversion course.
On successful completion of the course, you’ll be eligible to apply for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a mental health nurse.
Registration with the NMC is a pre-requisite to practice as a mental health nurse in the UK.
Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.
The Principles of Mental Health Nursing Practice is a Year 1, 20 credit module of the pre-registration Nursing (Mental Health) Programme, delivered across semester 1. This module will provide students with the foundational knowledge, which is fundamental to mental health nursing practice. The module aligns with the expectations outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the professional regulator for nurses, midwives, and nursing associates in the UK. The NMC set standards of education, training, conduct and performance to ensure that nurses are educated to a high standard in order to deliver safe and effective care at the point of entry to the professional register (NMC, 2018). Available at https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/code/
Within the module, key elements of nursing practice will be explored, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) professional standards that nurses, midwives and nursing associates must uphold in order to be registered to practise in the UK.
This module is structured around four themes – prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety and promote professionalism and trust. Topics also covered will include reflection and health service delivery models, an introduction to health policy and collaborative working practices. Importantly, relevant legal, professional regulatory and ethical frameworks, safeguarding and raising concerns will be incorporated, in order that students have knowledge of the core components of Nursing. This module also includes anatomy and physiology, genomics and behavioural sciences knowledge to understand human development, commonly encountered mental health conditions and recognising deteriorating health needs to inform person-centred care.
In order to set the context for this introductory module of the MSc pre-registration nursing programme, users of services are invited to share their personal healthcare journeys to ensure the authentic alignment from theory to practice.
The Developing and Enhancing Skills for Practice module is a Year 1, 20 credit module of the Mental Health Nursing with Registered Nurse Status MSc Programme, delivered across semester 1 and will provide students with the knowledge and skills to undertake nursing procedures effectively to provide compassionate, evidence-based person-centred nursing care. The module aligns with the expectations outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the professional regulator for nurses, midwives and nursing associates in the UK. The NMC set standards of education, training, conduct and performance to ensure that nurses are educated to a high standard in order to deliver safe and effective care at the point of entry to the professional register (NMC, 2018). Available at https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/code/
Students will benefit from practice-based placements across the Cheshire and Mersey region, including Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, whose placement portfolio includes Acute, Forensic (high, medium and low secure), Psychiatric Intensive Care (PICU) and Child and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS). The first practice placement learning opportunity, Practice Placement 1, forms part of this module. This is a 10-week placement facilitated during Part 1 of the programme. Students will be supported in clinical practice by their Practice Supervisor, Practice Assessor and their University of Liverpool Academic Assessor.
The theory and skills taught in this module will develop the student’s proficiency in holistic safe practice. This knowledge will help students to assess patient needs and plan their care. It will also help students to provide and evaluate care, and work towards leadership and coordination of care utilising a holistic approach.
Learning and teaching will be delivered via synchronous and asynchronous sessions, engaging a mix of online and classroom-based activities, including self-directed study, which encourage both critical reflection and examination of nursing practice. The acquired knowledge and skills will then be consolidated during the ten-week practice placement. In order to set the context for this module within the Mental Health Nursing with Registered Nurse Status MSc Programme, users of the service are invited to partake in teaching, simulation and assessment to ensure the authentic alignment of theory to practice. The total theory hours for this module will be no less than 200 hours.
The assessments for this module will take the form of a practical exam, the submission of a written assignment, a numeracy exam and successful completion of their Practice Assessment Document (PAD) and Ongoing Achievement Record (OAR) which constitute assessment around clinical skills during the practice placement.
The Local and Global Determinants of Mental Health is a Year 1, 20 credit module of the MSc pre-registration Nursing (Mental Health) Programme, delivered across semester 2 and will provide students with the knowledge and skills to undertake nursing procedures effectively to provide compassionate, evidence-based person-centred nursing care. The module aligns with the expectations outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the professional regulator for nurses, midwives and nursing associates in the UK. The NMC set standards of education, training, conduct and performance to ensure that nurses are educated to a high standard in order to deliver safe and effective care at the point of entry to the professional register (NMC, 2018). Available at https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/code/
Students will benefit from an initial 4-week adult setting placement, students will then benefit from a 5 week practice-based mental health focused placement across the Cheshire and Mersey region, including Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, whose placement portfolio includes Acute, Forensic (high, medium and low secure), Psychiatric Intensive Care (PICU) and Child and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS). Students will be supported in clinical practice by their Practice Supervisor, Practice Assessor, a Practice Education facilitator (PEF) and their University of Liverpool Academic Assessor.
The theory and skills taught in this module will develop the student’s proficiency in holistic safe practice. This knowledge will help students to assess patient needs and plan their care. It will also help students to provide and evaluate care, and work towards leadership and coordination of care utilising a holistic approach.
Learning and teaching will be delivered via synchronous and asynchronous sessions, engaging a mix of online and classroom-based activities which encourage both critical reflection and examination of nursing practice. The acquired knowledge and skills will then be consolidated during the 9-week practice placement.
The assessments for this module will take the form of a submission of a written assignment, a verbal presentation, and the successful completion their practice assessment document (PAD) and an Ongoing Achievement Record (OAR) which constitutes assessment around clinical skills during the practice placement.
The Research for Professional Practice module is a Year 1, 20 credit module of the Mental Health Nursing with registered status programme, delivered across semester 2. It provides the student with the knowledge and skills related to research methods, evidence generation and the utilisation of knowledge in nursing practice and evidence-based practice.
Within the module the theoretical debate around legitimate sources of professional knowledge are explored and students reflect critically on the orthodoxies of what constitutes knowledge in the clinical area and practice-based evidence.
The module uses a blended approach to learning, engaging a mix of online and classroom-based activities, and assessment will take the form of an unseen exam and the completion of an ethics application.
The Skills for Registration module is a Year 2, 20 credit module of the mental health nursing with registered nurse status (MSc) programme, delivered across semester 1 and will provide students with the knowledge and skills to undertake nursing procedures effectively to provide compassionate, evidence-based person-centred nursing care. The module aligns with the expectations outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the professional regulator for nurses, midwives and nursing associates in the UK. The NMC set standards of education, training, conduct and performance to ensure that nurses are educated to a high standard in order to deliver safe and effective care at the point of entry to the professional register (NMC, 2018). Available at https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/code/
Students will benefit from practice-based placements across the Cheshire and Mersey region, including Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, whose placement portfolio includes Acute, Forensic (high, medium and low secure), Psychiatric Intensive Care (PICU) and Child and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS). The first practice placement learning opportunity, Practice Placement 3, forms part of this module. This is a 10-week placement facilitated during Part 2 of the programme. Students will be supported in clinical practice by their Practice Supervisor, Practice Assessor and their University of Liverpool Academic Assessor.
The theory and skills taught in this module will develop the student’s proficiency in holistic safe practice. This knowledge will help students to assess patient needs and plan their care. It will also help students to provide and evaluate care, and work towards leadership and coordination of care utilising a holistic approach.
Learning and teaching will be delivered via synchronous and asynchronous sessions, engaging a mix of online and classroom-based activities which encourage both critical reflection and examination of nursing practice. The acquired knowledge and skills will then be consolidated during the ten-week practice placement. In order to set the context for this module, pre-registration mental Health Nursing with Registered Status, users of the service are invited to partake in teaching, simulation and assessment to ensure the authentic alignment of theory to practice. The total theory hours for this module will be no less than 200 hours.
The assessments for this module will take the form of a practical exam and submission of a written assignment. Both assessments are completed at university. As part of the module the students must also undertake a numeracy package and an exam. Students must also successfully complete their Practice Assessment Document (PAD) and Ongoing Achievement Record (OAR) which constitute assessment around clinical skill acquisition and deployment which are facilitated during the practice placement opportunity.
The Leading in Mental Health Nursing module is a Year 2, 20 credit module of the Mental Health Nursing with Registered Nurse Status MSc Programme, delivered across semester 1 and will provide students with the knowledge, skills, understanding and enactment of leadership, and the values and responsibilities of all nurses within the profession to reflect upon the demands of professional practice and recognise vulnerability in themselves and others. The module aligns with the expectations outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the professional regulator for nurses, midwives and nursing associates in the UK. The NMC set standards of education, training, conduct and performance to ensure that nurses are educated to a high standard in order to deliver safe and effective care at the point of entry to the professional register (NMC, 2018). Available at https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/code/
Students will benefit from practice-based placements across the Cheshire and Mersey region, including Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, whose placement portfolio includes Acute, Forensic (high, medium and low secure), Psychiatric Intensive Care (PICU) and Child and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS). The practice placement learning opportunity, Practice Placement 6, forms part of this module. This is a 12-week placement facilitated during Part 3 of the programme. Students will be supported in clinical practice by their Practice Supervisor, Practice Assessor and their University of Liverpool Academic Assessor.
The theory and skills taught in this module will introduce students to the professional context of leadership within mental health nursing, with reference to relevant current policy. Leadership styles and skills including models of leadership, gender issues, motivation, developing effective communication, awareness and critical analysis of current health and social care leadership literature will be explored. The concept of complex healthcare needs in care-planning and delivery, and appropriate interventions / referrals will be explored including common complexities and specialisms (e.g. Alzheimer’s Disease, Children and Young Person’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS), Secure Services and Trauma-Informed Care).
The theory and skills taught in this module will help students to extend their understanding of risk management and aversion, legislation, national frameworks and health policies which relate to national collaboratives and partnerships. It will also help students to confidently take leadership and management decisions in measuring, evaluating and managing risk, vulnerability and patient safety. Learners will demonstrate consistent application of partnership-working in nursing care, and shared assessment, decision-making and goal setting when working with people, their families, communities and populations of all ages.
Learning and teaching will be delivered via synchronous and asynchronous sessions, engaging a mix of online and classroom-based activities which encourage both critical reflection and examination of leadership and management in nursing practice. The acquired knowledge and skills will then be consolidated during the twelve-week practice placement. In order to set the context for this module within the Mental Health Nursing with Registered Nurse Status MSc Programme, users of the service are invited to partake in teaching, simulation and assessment to ensure the authentic alignment of theory to practice. The total theory hours for this module will be no less than 200 hours.
The assessment for this module will be the submission of a written assignment, and successful completion of their Practice Assessment Document (PAD) and Ongoing Achievement Record (OAR) which constitute assessment around clinical skills during the practice placement.
The Dissertation module is a Year 2, 60 credit module of the Mental Health Nursing with Registered Nurse Status MSc Programme, delivered across semester 1 & 2. The module will provide students with the knowledge, skills, understanding and ability to expand their knowledge in an area of interest to themselves, and to be able to evaluate the evidence base which underpins their selected topic. The module aligns with the expectations outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the professional regulator for nurses, midwives and nursing associates in the UK. The NMC set standards of education, training, conduct and performance to ensure that nurses are educated to a high standard in order to deliver safe and effective care at the point of entry to the professional register (NMC, 2018). Available at https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/code/
The theory and skills taught in this module will introduce students to the professional context of identifying, examining and critiquing the evidence-base. The teaching approaches are designed to enhance students’ capabilities and capacity for self-direction and independent study. Learning and teaching will be delivered via synchronous and asynchronous sessions, engaging a mix of online and classroom-based activities which encourage skills acquisition, critical reflection and development of literature appraisal skills and capabilities. The total theory hours for this module will be no less than 440 hours.
A key focus of the approach for this module is individual supervision and support. Students will be allocated a supervisor who will help guide them in developing their desk-based research project, in the execution of their literature searches, and in the writing of the review and research proposal.
The assessments for this module will take the form of a literature review and a research proposal.
You’ll learn through a blend of timetabled lectures, seminars, skills and simulation sessions, individual and group tutorials, and directed study time. Clinical placements complement theoretical study across both years of the course.
Service users have been involved in the development of the programme and will be invited to provide bespoke sessions outlining their experiences of being a patient nursed on a ward or in the community.
Assessments include written and numeracy exams and a dissertation. There are also observed practical exams conducted in our simulation suites and assessments on your clinical placements conducted by your practice assessors.
All module and clinical placement assessments must be successfully attended, completed and passed in order to complete the programme and have the opportunity to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a mental health nurse.
We have a distinctive approach to education, the Liverpool Curriculum Framework, which focuses on research-connected teaching, active learning, and authentic assessment to ensure our students graduate as digitally fluent and confident global citizens.
Studying with us means you can tailor your degree to suit you. Here's what is available on this course.
The School of Allied Health Professions and Nursing provides you with every opportunity to hone your practical skills, with facilities including a virtual reality teaching suite, imaging suite, and a range of clinical practice rooms to facilitate simulated teaching. Our curriculum is developed and assessed by leading healthcare providers throughout the North West, who also provide exciting placement opportunities.
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There are many reasons to consider a career in mental health nursing. It offers you the chance to make a difference to the lives of individuals, their families and their carers and play a vital role in modern health care. You’ll graduate eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a mental health nurse
Owing to the national shortage of mental health nurses, as well as the global demand for British trained nurses, there are many opportunities for graduates to work in mental healthcare settings locally and around the world.
Roles and opportunities in mental health nursing have expanded significantly in recent years in the NHS, with private providers and in the independent and voluntary sectors.
You could pursue a career specialising in areas as diverse as children and young people’s mental health, dementia care, forensic mental health services, or substance misuse.
As a master’s graduate, you’ll be well placed to pursue more advanced roles with greater responsibility. These include working as a:
Alternatively, you may want to pursue a career in leadership and management or continue your studies at PhD level.
Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.
UK fees (applies to Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland) | |
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Full-time place, per year | £9,250 |
International fees | |
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Full-time place, per year | £29,100 |
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support.
If you're a UK national, or have settled status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Loan worth up to £12,167 to help with course fees and living costs. Learn more about fees and funding.
We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any course-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.
Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this course.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that could help pay your tuition and living expenses.
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The qualifications and exam results you'll need to apply for this course.
We've set the country or region your qualifications are from as United Kingdom. Change it here
Your qualification | Requirements |
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Postgraduate entry requirements |
You should include a personal statement of no more than 700 words in support of your application. This should reflect on your understanding of the profession and relevant qualities valuable to a healthcare professional. Applications are welcome from graduates with an honours degree in any subject. GCSE English and GCSE Mathematics at grade C or grade 4 or above are also required. An interview forms part of the selection process. The interview follows the values-based recruitment (VBR) process and you will be expected to demonstrate the relevance of the NHS’ values. Literacy and mathematics tests will also be conducted, in line with Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements. Recognition of Prior (Experiential) Learning RP(E)LThe NMC stipulate that the training of nurses responsible for general care must comprise a total of at least three years of study, which may in addition be expressed with the equivalent European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits. This must consist of at least 4,600 hours of theoretical and clinical training, the duration of the theoretical training representing at least one third and the duration of the clinical training at least one half of the minimum duration of the training. In order to achieve these hours, successful entry onto the programme includes a portfolio detailing recognition of prior learning (RPL) that amounts to 620 theory hours and 570 practice hours, which must be approved by the relevant RPL assessor. These hours, added to the programme hours, will amount to a total of 4,600 hours. The 570 practice hours should consist of verified prior experience of care provision – this can be through paid work and drawn from one, or a range of, settings in which care of people’s health and wellbeing is provided. This care may include the physical, cognitive, social, learning or developmental needs of children, families or adults. Demonstration of this experience does not need to be in all areas highlighted here. Alongside working in traditional care environments such as hospitals and care homes, you could also have gained experience as a carer both formally and informally. This can be through paid or voluntary work. Working alongside those who access social care is also acceptable. The emphasis is on the process of providing care for others. In keeping with NMC guidelines, evidence of such activity will need to be evidenced. Signed verification of these hours by the organisation(s) or individuals involved in the provision/ receipt of care where this work has been undertaken will be required. In regards to theory, a number of educational experiences may count towards the required theory hours. Courses such as counselling, health and social care courses that can be classed as certified learning will all be considered. Please note: Meeting the minimum criteria does not guarantee a place on the programme as competition is high. You are encouraged to present the strongest possible application. Declaration of Criminal BackgroundYou will understand that as an allied health professions and nursing student, and when you qualify, you will be asked to treat children and other vulnerable people. We therefore need information about any criminal offences of which you may have been convicted, or with which you have been charged. The information you provide may later be checked with the police. If selected for interview you will be provided with the appropriate form to complete. Health ScreeningThe University and the School of Allied Health Professions and Nursing has an obligation to undertake health screening on all prospective healthcare students. Any offer of a place to study is conditional on completion of a health questionnaire and a satisfactory assessment of fitness to train from the University’s Occupational Health Service. This will include some obligatory immunisations and blood tests. Please visit the Higher Education Occupational Practitioners website for further information. |
International qualifications |
If you hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, but don’t meet our entry requirements, a Pre-Master’s can help you gain a place. This specialist preparation course for postgraduate study is offered on campus at the University of Liverpool International College, in partnership with Kaplan International Pathways. Although there’s no direct Pre-Master’s route to this MSc, completing a Pre-Master’s pathway can guarantee you a place on many other postgraduate courses at The University of Liverpool. |
You'll need to demonstrate competence in the use of English language, unless you’re from a majority English speaking country.
We accept a variety of international language tests and country-specific qualifications.
International applicants who do not meet the minimum required standard of English language can complete one of our Pre-Sessional English courses to achieve the required level.
English language qualification | Requirements |
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IELTS | 7.0 overall, with listening, reading and speaking at 7.0, and writing at 6.5. Please note, your IELTS test must have been sat and completed in person and not online. |
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Last updated 16 October 2024 / / Programme terms and conditions