- Aston University’s BSc Mental Health Nursing will accept its first students in September 2025
- The course has been designed in consultation with people who have accessed mental health services in the Midlands
- The course is split 50:50 between teaching and clinical placements.
Aston Medical School has launched a new three-year mental health nursing programme, with applications for the 2025 academic year now open.
The course will enable students to develop a broad understanding of mental health, including what good mental health looks like, what mental illness is and different theories and perspectives that view mental health in different ways. It has been designed in consultation with people who access or have accessed mental health services within the Midlands.
Mental health nurses are in demand, with a vacancy rate of 16.5% in the Midlands (NHS Digital, 2023), so the new course is much needed.
The Aston University course is split 50:50 between teaching and clinical placements with local service providers across all three years. There are also simulated placements at the University to support students’ learning and development. Students will learn how to care for people’s mental health as well as the physical health needs of people who access mental health services. The course supports students to develop the academic, research and leadership skills applicable to a career in nursing.
Mental health nurses work within a multidisciplinary team and with patients, their relatives and carers. They create positive relationships and safe spaces to support people and their families during difficult experiences, in a skilful and non-judgemental way that focuses on recovery.
Course graduates, once registered, will be able to work with children and young people as well as with adults. A variety of jobs are open to mental health nurses in hospitals and in the community, including acute care, intensive care wards, mother and baby services, child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), forensic care, home treatment and assertive outreach services, paramedic services, and with the police.
The programme is the second nursing programme at Aston University, with adult nursing starting in September 2023.
Samantha Chapman, teaching fellow in nursing (mental health) and programme lead, said:
“Aston University is a great place to start your nursing career. It has a supportive community, and the course offers a wide range of interprofessional learning and teaching.
“I can’t emphasise enough how rewarding and diverse mental health nursing is. I have had the privilege of working with so many inspiring people both patients and staff across my career. So many doors open once you have that first registration to join the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register, you can navigate your career towards an area and speciality that interests you, whether that be inpatient or community nursing, leadership, education and/or research, to name but a few.”
Professor Anthony Hilton, pro-vice-chancellor and executive dean of Aston University College of Health and Life Sciences says:
“I’m delighted we are adding mental health nursing to our growing portfolio of nursing specialisms. Our accredited curriculum and embedded hands-on clinical training empowers the future generation of nurses to navigate mental health challenges with skill and empathy.
“Across our multidisciplinary teams in the College of Health and Life Sciences we prepare professionals to make a meaningful difference to the lives of those struggling with mental health challenges.”
For more information about the BSc in Mental Health Nursing visit the webpage.
- Notes to editors
About Aston University
For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally.
Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world.
Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming the Guardian University of the Year in 2020.
Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Helen Tunnicliffe, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7827 090240 or email: h.tunnicliffe@aston.ac.uk.
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