Mental Health Nursing Info

Course Overview

This four-year programme, offered in partnership with the Galway Roscommon Mental Health Nursing Services leads to the award of Bachelor of Nursing Science (Mental Health Nursing) and eligibility for registration in the Psychiatric Division of the Nurses’ Register, maintained by Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), the nursing profession’s regulatory body. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) professional standards state that 'Nursing and midwifery are demanding professions, both physically and emotionally. This requires good mental and physical health and the ability to achieve the required competencies of a nurse/midwife.' 

 

The BSc. (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing is focused on the recovery of people experiencing mental health issues and it promotes psychological and physical wellbeing of individuals throughout the lifespan from children, young people, adults and older people. This means that the physical health care needs are met for people as well as their mental health needs. At the University of Galway, we recognise the challenges and rewards of mental health nursing. Our programme is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to progress in this field.    

 

The programme focuses on person centred care and positive therapeutic relationships, communication skills and therapeutic interventions and inter-professional team working, which will enrich student experiences and help them prepare for the reality of professional practice in an ever-changing health care environment. Throughout the programme, you’ll explore the complexities of mental health care and develop a deep understanding of the diverse needs of individuals in your care. The Mental Health nursing programme also aims to prepare you to undertake a person-centred assessment, formulating and delivering care in partnership with their clients and their significant others and building psychosocial support systems. 

 

You will will learn in our state-of-the-art clinical skills and simulation suite and complete practice placements in a range of mental health care settings. The programme is taught by experts in mental health nursing, who will support students in becoming a caring, compassionate professional, working in partnership with people, families, and communities. We nurture your creativity, critical judgement and ability to lead as you develop your clinical skills. You will be prepared for challenges you might face as a practising mental health nurse.

 

Student Support within the School and the University

The School of Nursing & Midwifery is committed to supporting students in relation to both their academic and personal development; the structures that are in place to support students within the school and university are presented below.

Academic supports https://www.universityofgalway.ie/student-services/academic-support/

• Academic Advisor  

Each student is allocated an academic advisor for the duration of the programme. This advisor will monitor the students’ academic progress and is available to advise and support the student if they encounter difficulties either personal academic or relating to clinical practice whilst undertaking the programme.

• Academic Writing Centre- Providing one-on-one tutorials and email consultations on essay writing. 
• Library- The Library provides a wide range of services to all students. Learn about these services, opening times and lots more on their webpage. 
• Academic Skills Hub- This online resources hub aims to support all students to develop the key skills required for academic success. Learn about IT and digital skills, workshops, assignments and exam techniques. 
• Student Academic Advisors- Available to meet with students who wish to discuss personal, academic, financial or any other issues that may arise while in University

 

Health and wellbeing Supports https://www.universityofgalway.ie/health-wellbeing/

• The Disability Support Service(DSS) is available to University of Galway students who need supports or reasonable accommodations due to the impact of a disability, ongoing physical or mental health condition, or a specific learning difficulty. https://www.universityofgalway.ie/disability/
• Student Counsellingprovides a free hybrid service of in-person, one-to-one counselling, and online counselling. They provide group counselling and workshops. The counselling service support about 10% of the student population each year.
• Student Health UnitProvides a wide variety of medical support services including GP services, sexual health support service and  vaccination clinics.

 

Support for students when on Placement

While on clinical placements, students are supervised by a Preceptor. This is a nurse who has been specially prepared to guide and direct student learning.  Students are also supported by the Nurse practice development co-ordinator and the Clinical placement co-ordinator, who, ensures that learning outcomes are identified and achieved.  Each ward / geographical area has an identified Link Lecturer from the school who is available to link with the student when they are on clinical placement to support them and manage any issues that arise.  This helps ensure that there is a close liaison between the school and clinical practice in the support of students.

 

Key Facts

 

Entry Requirements

Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, Mathematics, a laboratory science subject (i.e. Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physics with Chemistry (joint) or Agricultural Science), and any two other subjects recognised for entry purposes.

Additional Requirements

Health requirements: Nursing and midwifery are demanding professions, both physically and emotionally. This requires good mental and physical health and the ability to achieve the required competencies of a nurse/midwife. Students will be required to complete a Preplacement Health Assessment Form and as necessary undergo a medical assessment/screening. This aligns with the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland framework as detailed in "Nursing/Midwifery A Career for You (2023)"

Vaccination and Screening: Registered students must engage with the School of Nursing and Midwifery Vaccination and Screening programme, in line with the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) Immunisation and Health Information for Health Care Workers and others in At Risk Occupations. Vaccinations are not mandatory however a student who declines to be immunised against these illnesses or who has a confirmed medical contraindication to a vaccine, and as a result will not be able to acquire the necessary skills or core competencies and in agreement with clinical partners will be denied placement.

Statutory and Mandatory Training: Statutory and Mandatory training is defined as training and skills that must be successfully completed and updated to participate and remain skilled in safe clinical practice.

Statutory Training is training that is: Training which is explicitly required by law; or

Required on the instruction of a statutory body on the basis of specific legislation.
Statutory training is mandatory for all students attending placements.

Mandatory training is compulsory training that is deemed essential by an organisation for the safe and efficient delivery of services.

The Statutory and Mandatory training and Skills for ALL students are stipulated by the Health Service Executive and include the following:

• Manual Handling & People Load Moving & Handling (Updated in year 3)
• AHA Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider Course (Updated in year 3)
• Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections to include:
  • Hand hygiene (update at least once in each academic year)
  • Exposure to blood and body fluids (Updated in year 3)
  • Waste management (Updated in year 3)
  • Personal Protective Equipment (Updated in year 3)
  • Children First (Updated in year 3)
• Additional Mandatory Skills for Mental Health Students include:
  • Safety Intervention Training (refresher in year 3)

Students must satisfactorily participate and obtain certification of completion/achieve competency in training and other health requirements to commence/continue with the programme.

 

Garda Vetting

Nursing programmes require students to undertake placements with external agencies, which will bring them into contact with the public and in which they will assume positions of trust. To ensure the protection of the public, and justify public trust and confidence, the University is committed to ensuring that only suitable candidates are allowed to undertake these programmes. University of Galway uses the Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB) and where applicable, may liaise with other vetting services* to assess the suitability of applicants for admission to such programmes. University of Galway will require students on the nursing programmes to be Garda Vetted before they fully complete their registration as a student at the University.  Such students will be registered provisionally until Garda Clearance is obtained. In the event where applicants do not meet the Garda Vetting requirements of the University, registration on such programmes may be subject to cancellation and access to clinical placements sites cannot be facilitated.

 

*Overseas Police Clearance – Students with addresses outside of Ireland

Please note that Garda clearance will only cover addresses in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.  If you have resided in countries outside of the Republic of Ireland / Northern Ireland for a period of 6 months or more from the date of your 16th birthday, it is mandatory for you to furnish the Admissions Office with a Police Clearance Certificate from those countries stating that you have/have not convictions recorded against you while residing there.  Please ensure you apply for this as soon as possible as it can take up to 3 months to obtain.

 

Course Outline

The mental health programme provides an excellent foundation in the theory and practice skills required for contemporary mental health nursing and enables students to become knowledgeable, competent, safe and highly skilled practitioners.

For the graduate of the Bachelor of Nursing Science (Mental Health) to be eligible to practice as a Registered Nurse, the student will meet the following programme learning outcomes as outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (2023).

• Acquire the knowledge, professional values and discipline specific competences to fulfil the role of the Registered Nurse to deliver safe, high quality, compassionate, ethical, legal and accountable practice across the life spectrum and in diverse healthcare settings.
• Demonstrate knowledge, clinical skills and professional behaviours that are underpinned by the Scope of Nursing and Midwifery Practice Framework (NMBI 2015) and the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Nurse and Registered Midwives (NMBI 2021).
• Practice as a competent Registered Nurse to assess, plan, priorities, deliver and evaluate nursing care based on a comprehensive and systematic assessment of health and nursing needs in consultation with the person receiving such care, their representative and the multi-disciplinary team.
• Apply theoretical principles to the practice of nursing using professional judgement, critical reasoning, problem-solving and reflection derived from an evidence base of nursing and from the applied life, health and social sciences.
• Deliver person-centred, high quality and safe nursing care based on a collaborative relationship with a person receiving such care, that respects her/his dignity, autonomy, self-determination and rights to make health and life choices across the health spectrum.
• Demonstrate skills of effective communication, delegation, inter-professional liaison and team working to promote the quality and safety of the health care environment.
• Maintain competence to develop and enhance the capacity for self-awareness, reflective practice, leadership and professional scholarship.
• Apply evidence from an appraisal of research studies relevant to the division of nursing to the practice of nursing.

Students will take 23 theory modules and 8 clinical modules during the four years of the programme. The table below outlines the modules taken each semester for each year of the programme. Modules are designated as either theory or clinical practice:

• Theory modules aim to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills on which to base care delivery.
• Modules are also identified as shared, profession-discipline specific or shared/profession-discipline specific.
• Shared modules refer to modules that are taken by all groups (General, Mental health, and Midwifery)
• Profession-Discipline Specific is a specialist module which focuses on the Discipline/Profession specialty.

In all theory modules there is an emphasis on exploring the relevance of module content to practice. Similarly, practice modules allow students to explore “new” knowledge in the reality of the practice setting, thus providing students with an opportunity to integrate theory and practice. Internship provides students with an opportunity to consolidate their clinical skills and become confident in their abilities.  Modules in Year 4 Semester 2 concentrate on preparing students for the transition from student to qualified practitioner.

Below is a summary table of the theoretical modules completed across the 4 years

Year 1	-          Foundations of Mental Health Nursing -          Research and Evidence for Practice 1 -          Introduction in Mental Health Nursing -          Mental Health Nursing 1 -          Communications & interpersonal skills           -          Health and Applied Biosciences -          Clinical practice 1 & 2 -          Practice assessment
Year 2	-          Research and Evidence for Practice  2 -          Health and Applied Biosciences II -          Applied Psychology of Nursing and Midwifery -          Sociology of Health and Healthcare -          Mental Health Nursing 2 -          Mental Health  Nursing 3 -          Mental Health Nursing 4 -          Clinical Practice 3 & 4 -          Practice Assessment
Year 3	-          Law and Ethics -          Medicines and Clinical Practice -          Elective -          Mental Health Nursing 5 -          Mental Health Promotion and Recovery -          Mental Health Nursing 6 -          Clinical Practice 5 & 6 -          Practice Assessment I and II -          Mental Health Nursing 7
Year 4	-          Leading and Developing Practice -          Transition to Practice -          Research Project -          Clinical Practice 7 -          Clinical Internship Assessments 1, 2, 3 & 4 -          Practice Assessment -          Clinical internship which runs over 36 weeks - Semester II

 

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

There is study abroad opportunities within Europe and beyond that are available for students through the Erasmus Programme and other international partnerships with universities and/or care facilities in different countries such as Kenya. Students will have the experience needed to work within the HSE, private healthcare or within the voluntary and independent sector. You may also choose to pursue a career in teaching, research or management.

 

Practice Placement

 

Graduates of the Mental Health Nursing degree programme will undertake clinical placements regularly throughout the programme, and will work in a variety of settings, including:

 

• In-patient mental health services
• Community mental health services
• Child and adolescent mental health services
• Forensic mental health services
• Voluntary organisations
• Recovery and rehabilitation services
• Services for the older person
• Substance misuse and addiction treatment services
• Primary mental health care
• Community mental health services for people experiencing homelessness
• Perinatal mental health services
• Self-selected placements

These placements enhance the link from theory to practice and provides you with a wide variety of opportunities and experiences in all fields of mental health nursing. Practice placement is an essential component of the programme, ensuring that the student has sufficient opportunities to develop skill and competence in care provision and decision making, meeting the requirements for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI 2023).

Placements in Mental Health Nursing can be anywhere in Galway Roscommon Mental Health Nursing Services; students should expect to travel to placements. When on placements every student is assigned a preceptor who are trained in teaching within the clinical setting. Students should expect to work night shifts and/or long days on a regular basis and weekends while on clinical placement. Clinical practice modules require students to complete clinical placements within the Galway Roscommon Mental Health Nursing Services.

While on clinical placements, students will be supervised by an appropriately trained nurse, a preceptor. This is a nurse who has been specially prepared to guide and direct student learning. Students are also supported by the nurse practice development co-ordinator, clinical placement co-ordinator, who ensures that learning outcomes are identified and achieved.

Students in the School of Nursing & Midwifery at Univeristy of Galway are also well supported through Link Lecturers who are attached to placement areas. The link lecturer support preceptors, students, nurse practice development co-ordinator, and clinical co-ordinators who work in partnership with the Galway Roscommon Mental Health Nursing Services.

 

In accordance with Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland regulations, the total requirements of the programme are 144 weeks of clinical placement. Students undertake a 36-week clinical internship in semester two of year four. During the clinical internship period, students are paid a salary.

 

Learning and Teaching

At the School of Nursing and Midwifery, we aim to deliver a high-quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential. We provide a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this programme are:

·         E-Learning technologies

Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Canvas. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space, podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities.

·         Lectures

Introduce information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers)

·         Practical and Simulation Based Education

We provide opportunities to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts in our clicnial skills labs and simulation suite. All mental health students have opportunities to engage in interprofessional education (IPE) activities. They are expected to attend 100% of classes within the modules.

·         Self-directed study

This is an essential part of life as a University of Galway student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and research work for assignments is carried out.

·         Seminars/tutorials/workshops

Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess progress and understanding with the support of peers. Students are also expected to make presentations and other contributions to peer groups.

Assessment

Assessments will be carried out in a variety of formats, including written assignments, exams, poster and oral presentations, dissertations, project work, case studies and clinical skills assessment.

 

• The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the learning outcomes of each module. Details of how each module is assessed is provided to all students at the start of each module.

 

Graduate destinations

 

After successfully completing this course, you will be eligible to register with the NMBI in the psychiatric devision. This registration will also allow opportunities to work abroad as a mental health nurse.

 

You will have the experience needed to work within the HSE mental health services including Child and Adolescent mental health services, private healthcare or within the voluntary and independent sector. You may also choose to pursue a career in teaching, research or management.

 

There are a variety of continuing professional development opportunities available to graduates of this programme, in particular postgraduate programmes within the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Mental health graduates can pursue further study at master’s and PhD level: MSc Advanced Practice mental health.

 

Who Teaches this Course

 

Academic staff teach the course from School of Nursing and Midwifery in collaboration with specialist mental health nurses from clinical practice.

The Mental Health Lecturers include:

Clare Kiely - clare.kiely@universityofgalway.ie

Ellie Lynch - ellie.lynch@universityofgalway.ie

Brendan Power - bpower@universityofgalway.ie

Dr Fionnuala Jordan -   fionnuala.jordan@universityofgalway.ie

Dr Siobhan Smyth - siobhan.smyth@universityofgalway.ie