Nursing (Mental Health) and Leadership

Mental health nursing is a profession that demands extraordinary human skill alongside rigorous clinical knowledge. Mental health nurses support people experiencing the full spectrum of psychological distress, from anxiety and depression to psychosis, personality disorders, and complex trauma, working with individuals, families, and communities across a wide range of settings including hospitals, community services, prisons, and crisis care. The inclusion of leadership in this programme reflects the profession's growing emphasis on nurses who can not only provide excellent direct care but also influence the systems and cultures in which that care takes place.

At the University of Derby, this four-year, full-time programme leads to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and, uniquely, to a Masters-level award, making it one of the most academically ambitious routes into mental health nursing available in the UK. The programme is designed as a holistic learning experience, developing the emotional resilience, clinical competence, and transformational leadership abilities that define the registered nurses of the future. You will study the biological, psychological, and social dimensions of mental health and illness, develop your therapeutic and clinical skills through extensive practice placements across diverse settings, and build your capacity for leadership within the profession.

A typical entry tariff of 120 points reflects the programme's commitment to developing capable practitioners from a wide range of backgrounds.

Qualifying as a registered mental health nurse opens a career with strong and sustained demand across the NHS and independent sector. Graduates work in acute inpatient care, community mental health teams, primary care liaison, forensic services, crisis and home treatment, and specialist areas such as eating disorders, child and adolescent mental health, and older adult services. The Masters-level award supports faster progression to advanced practice and leadership roles.

Postgraduate study in areas such as cognitive behavioural therapy, advanced clinical practice, or mental health research is also available to those seeking further specialisation.