Mental Health Nursing - BSc (Hons) Degree

This three-year programme combines academic study with assessed practice placements. The curriculum is designed to build knowledge, skills and confidence progressively across each year of study. To achieve the award and be eligible to apply for NMC registration, students must successfully complete all modules and practice placements.

The modules listed are indicative and may be subject to change. The approved 2026/27 module portfolio will be published by November 2026, with Welsh-medium modules clearly identified as part of our ongoing commitment to expanding bilingual provision.

Year One

The first year of the course will focus on developing a strong grounding in the professional, ethical and practical foundations of nursing, alongside an understanding of public health, health promotion and wellbeing. You will complete a series of core modules and practice placements.

During the first two placements, you will split your week between practice and university learning, helping you connect theory with real-world experience. The third placement will be a block of seven weeks. Each placement ends with a dedicated consolidation week, providing you with the opportunity to reflect, debrief and take part in supported clinical supervision with academic and healthcare staff.

Examples of modules you may study include:

• Foundations of Nursing Practice
• Professional and Interprofessional Development
• Maintaining Health and Preventing Illness Across the Lifespan in Mental Health Nursing
• Assessing and Planning Care in Mental Health Nursing
• Clinical Placement Part 1

Year Two

In the second year of the course, you will build on the foundational knowledge and skills that you acquired in year one. Once again, you will complete a series of core modules and practice placements. There will be three block placements in year two, each seven weeks. Like year one, each placement is followed by a consolidation week, enabling you to reflect on your practice, discuss your experiences, and benefit from supported supervision from academic and clinical teams.

Examples of modules you may study include:

• Applying Nursing Knowledge in Mental Health
• Long Term Mental Health Conditions and Palliative Care
• Managing the Care of an Acutely Ill Mental Health Patient
• Clinical Placement Part 2

Year Three

Your final year will prepare you to confidently manage the care of critically ill Mental Health patients, applying advanced clinical knowledge and evidence-based practice while strengthening your leadership and decision-making skills. You will have three practice placements of eight to ten weeks, each followed by a consolidation week.

Examples of modules you may study include:

• Care of the Patient Requiring Complex Mental Health or Emergency Care
• Using the Evidence to Advance Mental Health Nursing Practice
• Compassionate Leadership in Mental Health Nursing
• Clinical Placement Part 3

A range of innovative and interactive teaching methods underpin the programme, including lectures, seminars, simulation-based learning, practical workshops and practice placements. Clinical skills sessions, simulation activities and small group learning will help you develop confidence and competence in essential mental health nursing skills, clinical reasoning and person-centred care within a supportive learning environment.

You will spend 50% of your time at the University and 50% in practice placements, providing extensive opportunities to apply your learning in real-world mental health care settings. Placements are primarily based within health and social care services across South East Wales, enabling you to gain experience in a variety of settings, including the NHS, private and third-sector organisations.

Students undertake their first two placements in a non-block format, combining time in practice with ongoing university study. This early exposure to clinical environments helps students apply their learning in context, while developing the confidence, skills and professional behaviours essential for nursing practice.

To support a positive study/life balance, on-campus teaching is typically scheduled between 10am and 4pm. Alongside taught sessions, you will undertake independent study, including assignment preparation, reading and research. Flexible online learning resources can be accessed at times that suit you, supported by clear guidance and indicative study times.

Throughout the programme, you will benefit from a strong support network. A dedicated personal tutor will guide your academic and professional development, while experienced nursing academics and practising clinicians will enrich your learning with their expertise. During placements, Practice Supervisors and Practice Assessors will support and assess your progress towards achieving the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) proficiencies required for registration.

You will develop your skills in dedicated clinical skills and simulation facilities, including virtual reality technology that allows you to practise caring for deteriorating patients and responding to emergencies in a safe environment. You will also gain experience in our onsite Allied Clinical Health Hub, providing care to members of the local community under the supervision of experienced practitioners.

A wide range of digital learning resources, together with the University’s comprehensive library collections, will support your academic and professional development throughout the programme.

Assessment is designed to be engaging, varied and closely aligned to the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for contemporary nursing practice. A diverse range of assessment methods, including essays, case studies, presentations, infographics, clinical assessments, Observed Structures Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) and the development of a clinical portfolio will enable you to demonstrate your learning in different ways. Written examinations are used only where appropriate.

Your progress in practice placements will be recorded through an electronic Practice Assessment Document (PAD), allowing you to track your development and achievement of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) proficiencies required for registration. Feedback from service users as well as Practice Supervisors and Practice Assessors will be used to monitor your progress.

Throughout the programme, you will receive timely and constructive feedback to help you build on your strengths, identify areas for development and continually enhance your academic and professional practice.

Each practice placement is followed by a dedicated consolidation week at the University, providing valuable time to reflect on experiences, integrate learning and strengthen the connection between theory and practice. During this week, you will take part in restorative clinical supervision led by registered practitioners from local health boards. These supportive, reflective sessions provide an opportunity to explore practice experiences, build confidence, enhance wellbeing and resilience, and develop the reflective skills that underpin continuous learning, professional growth and lifelong nursing practice.

A career in Mental Health Nursing offers diverse and rewarding opportunities to make a meaningful difference to people’s lives. Graduates can work across a wide range of settings, including inpatient mental health services, community mental health teams, crisis and liaison services, specialist services, primary care, forensic settings and third-sector organisations. Mental Health Nurses work with individuals of all ages, supporting recovery, promoting wellbeing and helping people manage complex mental health needs. With growing demand for skilled practitioners, the profession provides excellent opportunities for career progression, specialist practice, leadership, research and further study, both in the UK and internationally.

Our practice-focused programmes are designed to equip graduates with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to make a confident transition into professional practice. On successful completion of the BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing programme, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Registered Nurse.

Throughout your studies, you will be supported by dedicated employability specialists and nursing professionals who maintain strong links with NHS employers and healthcare organisations. These connections provide valuable networking opportunities, career guidance and insights into the wide range of pathways available after graduation.

In line with Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements, all applicants to nursing programmes must attend an interview. This enables us to assess the values, attitudes and professional attributes essential for a career in nursing and to ensure applicants are well suited to a profession where patient safety and high-quality care are paramount.

Please note that offers are made only following a successful interview. Interviews are conducted online via Microsoft Teams, providing an accessible and inclusive process that reduces barriers related to travel, cost and location.

Typical Offers

The following requirements are based on typical offers relevant to entering year 1 of the degree.

• Tariff Points: 96-104 points
• Contextual offer: See our contextual offers page.
• GCSE: Five GCSEs at Grade C/4 to include English Language/Welsh, Mathematics/Numeracy and a single Science or equivalent.
• English Language Requirement: If English is not your first language, you will need an academic IELTS score of 7.0.
• A level subjects: Minimum three A levels. BBC or CCC. No specific subjects required. Welsh Advanced Skills Baccalaureate considered as third subject.
• BTEC National/Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: DMM or MMM.
• T Level: Merit or Pass with C or above in the core.
• Access to Higher Education Diploma: No specific subject required.
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 2 x H2 or 1 x H2 grades. No specific subjects required. Higher level subjects only considered with a minimum of grade H4.
• Scottish Advanced Highers: Grades DD. No specific subjects required. Scottish Highers are also considered, either on their own or in combination with Advanced Highers.
• Other requirements: Successful interview, DBS and Occupational Health check.

Applicants who meet the minimum entry requirements will have their application assessed against a scoring framework based on the information provided in their personal statement. Eligible applicants will then be ranked according to their score, with the highest-scoring candidates invited to interview.

Applicants domiciled in Wales who are studying, or have successfully completed, a recognised health-related Access programme, the Nursing Cadet Scheme, the RCN Wales Healthcare Connect programme, or who have participated in our residential programme, may be eligible for a guaranteed interview. Please contact the Admissions Team for further information on eligibility criteria.

Interview Process

Our online interview process is designed to explore the personal qualities, values and attributes essential for a career in mental health nursing. The interview is not intended to test prior knowledge of the profession; instead, it provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate your potential as a future nurse.

Through discussion and reflection, we will assess your ability to:

• Communicate ideas clearly and effectively
• Think critically and respond to new situations
• Evaluate and reflect on information
• Consider issues relevant to contemporary nursing practice

Prior to the interview, applicants will receive five mental health nursing scenarios. During the interview, one of these scenarios will be explored in more detail, focusing on NHS values and how they are demonstrated in practice. The interview will also consider your motivation for studying nursing and your understanding of the profession.

Applicants may choose to apply and be interviewed through the medium of Welsh.

Information for Overseas Applicants

The BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing programme is commissioned by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and forms part of the Welsh workforce strategy to support the future sustainability of NHS Wales and the social care sector.

For entry in September 2027 and March 2028, commissioned places are available only to applicants who qualify for Home fee status. Consequently, applications from individuals with EU or Overseas fee status cannot be considered for these intakes.

Applicants are advised to check their fee status eligibility before applying.

For general enquiries, please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6010 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

For course specific enquiries, please contact the Nursing Strategic Lead, Professor Jayne Cutter:

• Email: jcutter@cardiffmet.ac.uk