What is Mental Health Nursing?
As many as one in five people in Northern Ireland are thought to develop some form of mental health problem over their lifetime.
Mental health nurses can provide care for individuals with personality or psychological disorders.
Mental Health NMC Information Sheet
Who do Mental Health Nurses Work With?
Mental health nurses are at the centre of a patient’s recovery, providing them with care and offering support to their families. They form healing relationships with people who have a mental illness, to assist their recovery and help the person return to a healthier life.
What skills and qualities would I need?
The Mental health nurses’ health care environment is complex and challenging yet very rewarding, so you need:
- Communication Skills - excellent interpersonal skills and communication abilities are needed when dealing with a variety of people from different backgrounds.
- Good Initiative - At times an adult nurse will have to deal with unexpected situations and will need to be able to act on their own make quick decisions.
- Organisational Skills - An adult nurse could be working with several patients at once so it is useful to have good skills when it comes to organisation.
- Emotionally Strong - To be good at problem-solving and strong when dealing with patients is helpful.
- Commitment - An adult has to be fully committed to continued learning throughout your career.
What Courses can I choose from?
There are several ways to becoming a mental health nurse. They are:
Queen's University
Course name - BSc Honours/Diploma in Nursing
For more information visit the
Queens University Website
University of Ulster (Magee)
Course Name - BSc Hons Nursing (Mental Health)
For more information visit the
University of Ulster Website
Alternative Entry - Open University
If you are employed as a work assistant or support worker then your employer can sponsor a group of nursing assistants to undertake a part-time diploma in higher
education at the Open University in Belfast.
For more information visit the
Open University Website
