Mental health nurse

Introduction to the role

Mental health nurses support people with a wide range of mental health conditions, working to promote recovery and help individuals lead independent, fulfilling lives. You’ll build meaningful relationships with the people you work with and care for, as well as their families and carers, offering guidance and reassurance through often challenging times. Often you’ll be a consistent presence through a person’s mental health journey. 

This role is about much more than clinical care. It’s about understanding each person’s unique situation, and co-developing plans with them so that their care is truly person-centred. You’ll listen without judgement but with empathy, and offer practical, emotional and therapeutic support that helps them move on with their life. Whether it’s helping someone to better understand and make informed choices about their medication or encouraging them to take part in social or therapeutic activities, you’ll be supporting their recovery and overall wellbeing.

About the role

What does a mental health nurse do?

Mental health nurses support people with a range of mental health conditions by co creating a treatment package with the individual to help them on their recovery journey. This could include educating someone about their medication or providing   access to social activities that support recovery.

You’ll need to build trust quickly and be able to recognise when someone may be at risk of their mental health deteriorating. Mental health nurses have legal responsibilities linked to key pieces of legislation such as the Mental Health Act and are trained to understand these. You may work autonomously but often you’ll be part of a wider team that includes doctors, psychologists, social workers and other healthcare staff.

You might work in a hospital, a community setting, or provide care in someone’s home.

What are the pay and conditions like?

As a mental health nurse, a full-time job is 37.5 hours a week, however there are opportunities to work part-time. Many healthcare services provide 24/7 care, therefore you may be expected to work across various shifts which include days, nights, weekends and bank holidays. Employers will review flexible working requests and patterns on an individual basis. Most newly qualified nurses start on band 5 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale.

You’ll also benefit from access to the NHS Pension Scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, and at least 27 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays.

Where mental health nursing can take you

Once you have qualified as a mental health nurse, a range of career options may become available.

You could:

• specialise in working with children and young people
• focus on supporting women’s mental health
• work in communities where you will lead on providing care that responds to each person’s individual cultural needs
• work in health and justice settings
• work in a crisis team or in acute psychiatric liaison
• move into management, teaching or clinical research
   

Person specification

Is mental health nursing right for you?

Being a mental health nurse means supporting people during some of the most challenging moments of their lives. You’ll need to communicate clearly and effectively, often when speaking with people who are in a great deal of distress. You will need to be able to build trust quickly, and respond with empathy, while staying calm and focused under pressure. The role often involves working with families and carers too, so strong interpersonal skills are essential.

Ask yourself:

• Can I support people in distress without judgement?

• Am I confident working with individuals and families in complex situations?

   

Do your values reflect those of the NHS?

Whether you're applying through university or directly to a role in the NHS, you’ll be expected to show how your values align with the NHS Constitution. These include respect, compassion and a commitment to providing high quality care to every person you support.

Ask yourself:

• Do I treat everyone with dignity and kindness, keeping them at the centre of what I do?

• Am I motivated to improve the lives of others?

   

Entry requirements and training

Studying nursing at university

To become a registered mental health nurse, most people apply for a degree course. These are usually full time and take around three years to complete. They combine academic study with hands-on clinical placements  in a range of clinical settings. You will spend around half your time studying at university and half gaining practical supervised experience in these clinical placements which will be in a range of healthcare settings.

Entry requirements will vary depending on the university, but you’ll typically need:

• at least five GCSEs at grade 4/C or above, including English language or literature, maths and a science
• two or three A levels or equivalent qualifications, such as a BTEC or T Level

Some universities offer foundation year options if you do not meet the standard entry criteria. If you already hold a degree in another subject, you may be able to apply for an accelerated course lasting around two years.

How to apply

To apply for a full-time mental health nursing degree, you’ll need to submit your application through UCAS. As part of the process, you may be invited to an interview or selection day. This is your opportunity to show your motivation, understanding of the profession, and how your values reflect those of the NHS Constitution.

Work or volunteer experience in health or care settings can help strengthen your application.

Other routes into nursing

There are also alternative routes to becoming a registered mental health nurse, including:

• Nursing degree apprenticeships, which allow you to train and earn a salary at the same time. These are offered by some NHS employers in partnership with universities.
• You could first train to become a nursing associate. This is a registered professional role, regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). They provide essential care across diverse settings and are individually accountable for their practice. For those who wish to, the role can also serve as a route into registered nursing through further study.
• Some employers support existing staff through training while they continue working.

Find out more about Routes into NHS with UCAS.

All nursing courses in the UK must meet NMC standards of education and training but programmes vary in their content, the way they are structured, and how they are taught and assessed. The facilities available and amount of support and supervision may also differ from course to course. Find out more by looking at university websites and prospectuses, attending university open days and contacting admissions staff.

Work experience

Applying for a course or apprenticeship in mental health nursing is going to be competitive. If you're seriously considering it, it is a great idea to try and gain some prior work experience to strengthen your application visit NHS England to find out more about gain work experience for NHS Careers.