Mental health nursing?

Kim_x1990

Since I was pretty young, I knew mental health was the line of work I wanted to get into and so applied to study Psychology at University. I graduated from Northampton Uni last July and desperately wanted to get onto the Clinical Psychology doctorate. I ended up applying for the masters at Bournemouth Uni in Foundations of Clinical Psychology and am currently two months away from finishing. I saw this as a stepping stone for getting closer to the doctorate.

Unfortunately, the masters course has really put me off pursueing this as a career. For the last term of the course, we are appointed a clinical placement. I am currently working with a crisis team based in Bournemouth. Given that I am studying Psychology, I have not been paired with any Psychologists, but instead a Psychiatrist and a huge team of mental health nurses. This has made me very strongly consider mental health nursing and although I feel as though I have "wasted" 4 years, I am glad that I have found something I finally feel may be right for me.

From what I have read, I could study a two year "accelarated" masters at Oxford Brookes or Essex Uni with a psychology degree and relevant work experience. Is there anyone that is currently studying for a mental health nursing course? Would really appreciate any info/opinions about unis/course and also how you go about funding for this?

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

nataliemoore

I'm studying MH nursing but at undergrad, however I did an undergrad before. Very few places do the PGDip nursing now because soon it will be an all degree profession, so if you wanted to do that particular course apply soon! I know somebody who did Psychology undergrad & went on to do that also. The only other unis I know that still do it at Kings & City. NHS will pay tuition fees and you will get a bursary also.

I've just started a community placement and what I've noticed is that the nurses seem to encompass a lot of the roles and are very knowledgable about other professions in the team, my mentor knows a lot about CBT & is able to really help her clients with this. So your masters definitely is not a waste of time! x

Reply 2

Kim_x1990

Ahh cool. Yeh I'm really struggling to find places for it so wondering if I should just look around and apply for the undergrad course, but obviously they have all closed for this year.

I've heard back from Oxford Brookes and this was the message I received...

Thanks for your recent enquiry about the MA in mental health nursing at Oxford Brookes University, I'm the course leader for this programme. The GDip/MA is a three-year full-time programme which leads to both the academic awards and to registration as a mental health nurse. Oxford Brookes University academic regulations do not permit us to run a taught-masters programme which lasts longer than two years so the programme is structured such that the first-year is run as a Graduate Diploma in Person-Centred Healthcare taught at academic level 6 (i.e. final year degree level) and successful completion of the GDip leads to automatic progression onto the MA. You might be able to APEL a limited amount of the academic content but I think that you would need to do all three years of the programme to achieve the 2,300 hours of supervised practice and achieve all of the competencies required for nurse registration. We are almost certainly full for September entry but are still interviewing for places on the waiting list to take up any vacancies which become available. Application to the Graduate Diploma is through UCAS and I think that you should still be able to make a late application. I would be happy to see you if you want to make an informal visit in the next few weeks. We only have a limited number of places for September but a number of other universities also offer post-graduate entry routes to mental health nursing so it would be worth you making some effort to ascertain if anywhere else still has places for September. Some universities may also offer a January or February entry. My one caution to you though is that I think that you should carefully research the reputation and student experience at any institution you apply to before committing yourself.

Do you have any idea what APEL is? I've looked it up but don't really get it because I thought it applied more to work experience than academic stuff?

Essex runs a 2 year masters and looks pretty good so I think I'm just going to go for it and apply anyway. Someone also mentioned the PG diplomas and I've found those at Nottingham and Sheffield Hallam, but you apply for those through UCAS and thy've already closed... Just found UWL too but I'm not really sure what my best option is!

Reply 3

angel_delight

APEL means that you would be able skip some of the content if it has been covered in your previous course and you would maybe be given something else to cover. So if you had extensive knowledge on a module that they were covering, you wouldnt need to do it.

Reply 4

prototype288

Hi Kim,

Just to make you aware there are plenty of courses around the country that deliveres the accelerated 2 year MA/PGDip Mental Health Nursing course

London South Bank Uni
Middlesex Uni
Cardiff Uni
Kingston Uni
Southampton Uni
Sheffield Hallam
Leeds Uni
Birmingham City Uni
Nottingham

Hope this helps.

Reply 5

almosttrue

Dont do it you get all the responsibility for each shift and spend 99% of your time sat typing on a computor to cover yourself. A nurse assistants role is better you get to spend time with the patients without having all the pressure and responsibility..

Reply 6

almosttrue

I bet those who negged me havent worked on an acute ward for a decent amount of time lol.

Reply 7

angel_delight

Have you worked in an acute ward for a decent amount of time?

There are other roles available in mental health and it up to the individual nurse if they wish to sit in the office all day or interact with their patients. Yes as a staff nurse you will at times take responsibilty for the ward but thats part of your job.

Reply 8

Kim_x1990

Well I'm currently on placement with the crisis team in Bournemouth and have really enjoyed it. From what I have seen, yes there is alot of computer work, but also alot of patient contact.

I have now got a couple of interviews lined up for support worker/nursing assistant type stuff on acute inpatient wards so fingers crossed will get something from one of those! I'm glad, because didn't really want to be applying for courses under pressure, starting it and then deciding it's not what I wanted to do after all, so hopefully this way I can see it for myself and hopefully find something I like along the way? Definitely won't be doing any sort of psychology stuff though! Been put off for life!! :/

If I do decide to apply for next year though, aren't the PGDip's all going? If thats the case, I may as well just apply for the undergrad degree rather than one of the masters, because by the sounds of it, I will need to do all three years anyway.

Ahhh decisions!! :/

Reply 9

jlove200

Im currently on my medical placement as part of my psychiatric nursing degree and I have to disagree with the comment regarding all the paperwork and no contact. My last placement was acute admissions and yes there is a lot of paperwork but we still get more time with patients that those in the general branch of nursing get.

Reply 10

Paigee

I have applied to do mental health nursing and just wanted to see what everyone thought of it an if its worthwhile course to take?

Reply 11

Gem :@)

Original post by Kim_x1990

Hiya, just noticed your post, I'm starting the PgDip this September (psychology graduate also :smile:

). As far as I'm aware, the PgDip isn't going, its the diploma into nursing that isn't degree level that is being scrapped. (if that makes any sense lol). There is going to be BSc nursing and graduate entry nursing still available.
Hope this helps you decide :biggrin:

Reply 12

paperlily3

Original post by Gem :@)

Hiya, just noticed your post, I'm starting the PgDip this September (psychology graduate also :smile:

I really hope you're right!! I've only just decided I might want to apply for the PGdip in 2013.. it would be gutting if I couldn't apply and had to do another degree.
I don't think it would make sense to scrap the postgrad diploma.. when you consider other professions like Speech and Language Therapy you can do either an undergraduate degree or postgrad diploma for.