Curious about studying Mental Health Nursing with Foundation Year - BSc (Hons)at Bucks New University? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Uxbridge Campus
Full Time
Sep 2027
4 Year
Embrace the opportunity to be an ambassador for mental health. This course not only allows you to become a vital part of a compassionate healthcare team providing physical and mental health care, but also positions you at the forefront of mental health advocacy and development in society and healthcare systems. You’ll acquire the expertise to offer the highest standard of person-centric care, guiding individuals through their most challenging moments and significantly enhancing their quality of life.
Why study BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing at BNU?NMC Registration
Our mental health nursing degree programme integrates academic study alongside practice-based learning. It is underpinned by a strong collaboration between the University, service users (experts by experience) and our NHS practice partners, in response to both Nursing & Midwifery Council policy and regulatory developments. Upon completing this degree, you will be qualified to register with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, beginning a distinguished career as a registered mental health nurse.
FacilitiesWe have developed a comprehensive suite of facilities specifically tailored to enhance the learning experience in the field of mental health nursing, and designed to help with creating real-life scenarios. Simulation plays a pivotal role in our nursing programs, particularly in the context of mental health. Across our campuses, we have meticulously constructed simulation labs that replicate working wards and other relevant settings. These facilities are not just about practicing technical skills; they are designed to immerse you in scenarios that closely mirror the complexities and nuances of mental health care. This helps ensure that when you embark on your placements, you are well prepared and confident in your abilities.
PlacementsThroughout the course, you’ll allocate approximately half of your time to clinical practice and the remaining half to University-based learning. Our strong partnerships with various NHS Trusts and independent care providers in the region ensure that students have diverse and enriching clinical placements. You may also have the opportunity to placement in a number of private health care providers, prisons, nursing homes or GP surgeries.
SupportWhilst nursing is a rewarding career, we also understand studying mental health nursing at university can be challenging at times. You’ll have direct support both in the classroom and on placement from a personal tutor. On campus you can find further support at our Student Wellbeing Centre and Student Learning Achievement Centre.To financially support your studies, the UK Government provide mental health nursing students with a payment of at least £5,000 a year which will not need to be paid back.
What will I study?In the Foundation Year of this four-year course, you’ll build essential academic study skills. This year will help you gain confidence in your abilities. You’ll also identify your strengths and areas for development. Together, these will prepare you for progression to the undergraduate degree. You'll learn how to work in diverse settings, from hospitals and community health centres to schools and private care environments, providing essential support to people of all ages and across all walks of life. This course offers a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical experience. You'll explore the latest research and treatment approaches in mental health, while hands-on clinical placements will provide you with real-world experience under the guidance of experienced professionals. You’ll learn how to perform a range of mental health nursing skills with proficiency, predicated on contemporary knowledge and the understanding of best practice.
Foundation Year
The module covers fundamental academic skills. You’ll engage in interactive sessions that emphasise academic writing, research techniques, and the ability to evaluate relevant literature. Practical exercises will enhance numerical literacy, a skill integral to understanding health and social care-related data.
Foundation Year
The course covers self-awareness, goal setting, and resilience. There’s a strong focus on teamwork and collaboration within appropriate care settings. Practical scenarios and group projects facilitate the development of effective communication, conflict resolution, and collaborative problem-solving skills.
Foundation Year
This is designed to prepare you to communicate effectively as health & social care professionals. We’ll consider anti-discriminatory language, conflict resolution and communicating with patients, service users and people with lived experience who are disengaged. Models in relation to verbal, non-verbal and written communication will be covered.
Foundation Year
This module emphasises the importance of evidence-based practice in delivering high-quality care. You’ll learn principles of evidence-based care and develop the ability to identify and to appraise reliable literature. Ethical considerations, inherent in the utilisation of evidence within health and social care settings, are also explored.
Foundation Year
Building upon previously acquired academic skills and taught sessions during the module, you’ll work in discipline specific action learning sets to complete a project. You’ll need to collaborate to investigate, understand and analyse issues arising from a discipline-specific person-centred scenario.
Foundation Year
You’ll explore ethical theories and principles, examining their practical application in real-world scenarios across different care disciplines and their impact on patient/client care. You’ll gain an awareness of the moral responsibilities inherent in professional practice care, considering the diverse ethical challenges that may arise.
You'll be introduced to nursing as a profession and explore the fundamental underpinnings of professional practice as set out in the NMC Code. You'll study the importance of the four themes set out in the Code to everyday professional practice as a nurse or nurse associate, as well as being introduced to key legal frameworks governing healthcare.
This module introduces fundamental approaches and skills for delivering care for people across all care environments. You will begin practising universal nursing skills in safe simulated clinical environments. This simulation practice learning contributes to the 2300 practice learning hours requirement.
You'll be introduced to fundamental themes and principles of human anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology as a basis to understand health and diseases. It aims to equip you with a depth and range of understanding of human functioning through use of systems approach. This will help you to recognize physiological parameters.
The aim of the module is to facilitate and develop your knowledge of pharmacology and numeracy in healthcare, in addition to clinical skills in medicines administration. This module aims to equip you to participate knowledgeably in the safe administration of commonly encountered oral, topical, subcutaneous and intramuscular medicines.
This module will examine how biological, psychological, social, and individual factors contribute to patterns of health breakdown and ill health and explore how this can impact individuals with diverse identities. A lifespan approach will be implemented to enable students to care for people across all four fields of nursing in their own homes, community, hospital, or any healthcare setting.
This module spans the first year and enables you to integrate learning from other modules. Reflection on practice learning experiences and how learning from other modules supports mental health nursing practice is a key part. You will also conduct a learning needs analysis on yourself and engage in academic skills development to meet those needs.
This is an introduction to nursing practice. You will attend clinical environments in a supernumerary capacity for allocated periods and participate in the direct care of service users under direct supervision of qualified experienced practitioners who are trained as supervisors. This module also includes practical elements of mandatory training.
You'll design and present a research project and develop an academic research poster. You'll practice research methods and their application, to equip you with the skills to draw on research to inform your practice.
The aim of this module is to enable you to understand the legal and professional requirements of registered practice. The focus is on applying aspects of health care law and ethics to practice settings across fields, to enable you to develop confidence in your ability to take part in raising concerns, reporting incidents and providing evidence to enquiries into complaints, in addition to meeting professional standards and safeguarding responsibilities.
This module explores a range of health conditions to enable you to understand pathophysiology or aetiology of mental health conditions and their impact on the person and their family. The module will enable explore comorbidities, the inter-relationship between physical, mental and social aspects of care and analyse evidence-based nursing practice.
You'll further develop mental health and physical nursing skills required for the acutely unwell service user in a variety of settings. Communication skills are further developed in order to engage and manage relationships with people of all ages and with a range of mental, emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioural health challenges.
You'll work to develop a deeper knowledge of engagement and managing relationships with people, of all ages with a range of mental and behavioural health challenges, even when behaviours can challenge. The need for, and strategies to develop, personal resilience will be addressed.
You will continue to develop and extend your competence and confidence in practice. You will attend clinical environments in a supernumerary capacity for allocated periods. You will participate in the direct care of service users under supervision of qualified experienced practitioners who are trained as supervisors.
This module aims to build on your learning of pharmacology and numeracy from Year One and assimilate it and your existing practice learning with further legal, professional and pharmacological principles and field specific issues. This will facilitate and develop your readiness to manage medicines professionally in practice after registration.
This module provides a platform for you to examine theories and practices around leadership, delegation, collaboration, and management within healthcare settings and to introduce healthcare regulation. You'll also get to enhance your problems solving skills and further develop your communication skills in challenging situations.
You'll consolidate your knowledge and shared decision making, including service user, carer, and multidisciplinary team, in the delivery of complex care for people with severe or enduring mental illness and/ or comorbidities. You'll develop collaborative communication skills across health and social care provision including risk assessment and management. You'll develop an understanding of NHS policy in this field and apply it the nurse’s role with service users with complex needs.
This module aims to further develop your research literacy and skills to evaluate research evidence in order to enhance evidence–based practice in your field. Approaches to practice development will also be introduced.
This module aims to focus on the transition from student nurse to Registered Mental Health Nurse. You will have the opportunity to reflect on your learning across the programme and develop a professional, academic portfolio that demonstrates your readiness for registration. Career opportunities will also be discussed.
This is the opportunity to enhance your therapeutic skills and clinical decision-making, beginning to take responsibility for leading care and practise delegation, supervision and supporting others. You will attend clinical environments in a supernumerary capacity for allocated periods and deliver care under indirect supervision.
4.4Bucks New University (BNU) is a student-focused university based in High Wycombe, with over 130 years of educational his...
