Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) Mental Health
What is the Course About?
The Keyll Darree Education and Training Team housed within Manx Care delivers the pre-registration nursing programme validated by the University of Chester. On completion of the programme students are awarded a Degree in mental health nursing and professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The nursing programme aims to provide professional nurse education which takes account of all the relevant professional and academic benchmarks, producing future nurses who must act first and foremost to care for and safeguard the public.
The pre-registration nursing programme has been designed to take account of the essential physical and mental health of people across the age continuum. The student nurse will spend a minimum of 2,300 hours in practice supported by a range of healthcare professionals and a minimum of 2,300 hours in the academic setting supported by nurse lecturers and clinical skills facilitators.
The programme is delivered on a full time basis over three years. Successful applicants are awarded a tax-free bursary of £10,000 per year, paid in 12 monthly instalments.
Students are placed at the centre of the learning experience and are expected to assume responsibility for their own educational development through reflection and management of their learning. Methods of learning and teaching emphasise student-centred techniques. This will facilitate the student to become an increasingly autonomous learner, able to identify their own learning needs and goals within the parameters of the programme.
Applications for the programme are open each year from October to March.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview.
What subjects will I study?
In accordance with the NMC regulatory standards you will undertake 2,300 of study hours in relevant theoretical subjects (the taught content will cover essentials from - applied biological sciences; applied social sciences; managing emergency, acute and long term care needs across the life span; promoting health and wellbeing; leading care and people; evidence based practice; and understanding values and skills for professional practice and registration). Again as required by the NMC regulatory standards you will also undertake 2,300 of practice hours based in a varied mix of community and in-patient care settings on the Isle of Man; hence you are expected to travel across the whole island and partake in numerous different shift patterns including early and late shifts, weekends, bank holidays and night shifts. Taught sessions, for the most part, will be based on the Noble’s Hospital site.
What are my progression and career options?
On successfully completing this course, you can elect to become registered with the NMC as a mental health nurse. This professional registration would enable you to seek gainful employment here on the Isle of Man or the UK as a duly qualified mental health nurse.
Your BN (Hons) exit qualification also enables you to progress to undertake postgraduate study locally or other universities in the UK and elsewhere worldwide.
The knowledge, care values and competencies acquired following you achieving this academic exit qualification associated with a professional status are transferable qualities that are highly sort after by most employers even those outside the health and social care provision sector; these will equally enhance your everyday life living and coping skills.
How will I be assessed?
You will be assessed using various methods including written and oral examinations, individual and group presentations, written assignments, numeracy and clinical skills assessments, practice competency assessments, and ongoing achievement records. These various methods will enable you to develop a diverse array of assessment capabilities and skills as your course progresses.
Entry requirements
An applicant must be Isle of Man resident and 18 years or more on the commencement date of the Bachelor of Nursing (BN) Programme, September annually. Currently applications for international students on visas are not considered.
At the point of application applicants must have or be working towards GCSE English Language or Literature and Mathematics at Grade C/Grade 4 or above or, equivalent (such as Functional Skills level 2) and 112 UCAS points. Applicants who have between 104 and 112 UCAS points will be considered, on an individual basis.
In certain conditions UCAS points can be obtained from a combination of GCE A Levels and or equivalent, for example, BTECs/OCR and HE access qualifications. AS points will not be considered within the minimum 104 UCAS points. NVQ/QCF/GNVQ/RQF level 2 do not, meet the equivalent entry criteria. It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit evidence of their UK-based qualifications or validation of all their non-UK-based qualifications from recognised UK matriculation bodies like UK ENIC. If you are unsure or have any questions regarding entry criteria, please email keylldarree@gov.im
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) states that for candidates originally from outside the European Economic Area (EEA), scores from the Internal English Language Testing System (IELTS) are accepted as evidence of literacy. The scores must be at least 7.0 in each section and the overall average score must be at least 7.0.
Nursing is both mentally and physically demanding and the good character and health of all successful applicants will be assessed to establish not only access onto the BN Programme but also fitness to practice whilst on the programme. A Disclosure & Barring Service certificate, an Occupational Health assessment and, if required an identified other health professional assessment will be carried out on conditionally successful applicants. There is also a need for conditionally successful candidates to provide two recent reference contacts from sources who are authentically reputable.