Nursing Practice (Mental Health)

Nurses across different specialities have a vital and uniquely placed role in supporting individuals, families and communities to achieve meaningful connection and change in their lives. Our pre-registration postgraduate Nursing degree will prepare you to become part of a rewarding profession with care, compassion, communication, courage, competence, and commitment at its centre.

Regulated by The Nursing & Midwifery Council, our course will equip you for a career in Nursing within a diverse range of settings both in hospital, clinic and community environments and specialities. The Course has two routes:

• MSc Nursing Practice – Adult Nursing
• MSc Nursing Practice – Mental Health Nursing

On completing the course, you will be able to evidence and demonstrate the standards and competencies required for entitlement to registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council. The course will enable you to develop the core skills, knowledge and values fundamental to Nursing practice.

These Masters level pre-registration courses are available to graduates already holding a degree from any discipline, looking to gain a Nursing (either an Adult Nursing or Mental health Nursing) qualification and, eligibility for registration with a professional body in two years rather than three, providing an accelerated route into the profession. You will also be eligible to apply for the NHS bursary.

Teaching and learning are focused on a values based and person centred approach that considers wider determinants that impact on the lived experiences of those who require nursing care throughout the lifespan.
The programme is mapped against the Future Nurse Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses (NMC 2018). These form the basis of the curriculum, which incorporates in total 2,300 hours of theory, and 2,300 hours of practice. The learning opportunities offered by the programme include:

• Practice learning experiences that extend over a wide geographic area offering a broad range of diverse environments to prepare you to practice in a variety of settings. Elective placement of your choice (5 week placement).
• Digital and enhanced technology will be used to embed learning opportunities throughout the course which may include role play, use of immersion suites, clinical simulation and use of high-fidelity mannequins. To enhance learning there are allocated & specific simulation weeks, allowing practice of skills safely in a controlled environment, before going into practice. This offers opportunities to replicate the challenges that Nursing professionals face in reality, meaning that you’ll be a highly employable graduate with all the skills you need to succeed.
• Human factors and health inequalities are key themes embedded throughout the curriculum along with opportunities for Interprofessional learning (IPE).

Our School and Nursing Department team of experienced staff are on hand to support and enhance your core Nursing skills and we work closely with stakeholders such as service user and carer groups. We also have strong links with regional partner NHS Trusts and organisations who provide, not only high-quality practice-based learning opportunities, but also support with creative and innovative approaches to teaching on the course.

You will also have the opportunity for collaborative, interprofessional working as part of a wider, growing Health and Social Care postgraduate community at Staffordshire University.

During year one, you will gain the knowledge, skills and values essential to nursing practice exploring:

Physical and Mental Health Assessment, Pathophysiology and Prescribing Preparation
Human Factors, Risk, Decision Making and Uncertainty and their impact on Nursing
Adult or Mental Health Practice Module (4,5,6) which will consist of 3 Field specific practice placements during the year.

During year two, you will gain the knowledge, skills and values essential to nursing practice exploring:
Care Delivery, Leadership and Management, The Evidence Base for Practice, and, complete a further 3 field specific placements and theory alongside this in the Adult or Mental Health Practice Module (7,8,9).
Whether you complete Adult of Mental health practice placements will depend on the route your are registered on.

All modules are either 20 credits which equates to 200 hours of study time or 40 credits which equates to 400 hours of study time. The specific type of study time varies from module to module and includes scheduled teaching and learning activities, such as online lectures, webinars, videos and briefings, online interactive discussions, individual tutorials, on-campus presentations, simulation exercises, and discussion. Guided independent study hours will include accessing online materials, tasks, discussions, and recommended reading. Independent study hours include preparation of summative assessment and portfolios, reading and researching.

Professional body accreditation

Recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the purpose of registration as a qualified nurse (mental health).