About This Course
Please note: this course starts in September 2025.
Mental health (MH) student nurses learn about working with people of all ages experiencing a range of mental health issues - addressing not only their mental health needs but also their physical, social and spiritual needs.
This exciting new Mental Health Nursing (Distance Learning) BN degree will provide you with the knowledge and skills to successfully graduate as a registered mental health nurse, and you will undertake practice placements in community and hospital settings with our partner organisations within Wales, with experiences in a range of mental health care related areas. MH Nurses work in a variety of settings which are reflected in the placement opportunities which include community and inpatient services such as child and adolescent MH, adult and older adult MH in hospital, rehabilitation, prison and forensic services, therapeutic substance misuse services and nursing homes. Registered nurses’ learning is supported throughout their careers through, initially preceptorship that offers the structured support needed to successfully transition your knowledge into everyday practice, and through continuous professional development.
Mental health nursing will lead you to an exciting and rewarding, though demanding, career as a mental health nurse. The course will enable you to develop your career working with people of all ages who are facing physical and mental health challenges, or living with learning disabilities, who need professional mental health nursing care.
You can experience a very wide range of community- and inpatient-based practice placements across Wales as a mental health nursing student, which could include:
- Primary Care
- Child and adolescent mental health services in the community and residential setting
- Mental health hospital care for adults and older people with 24-hour needs
- Multidisciplinary community mental health teams for adults and older people
- Prison and forensic medium secure hospital services with links to the criminal justice service
- Home treatment, rehabilitation and step-down recovery services
- Perinatal mental health services
- Memory services
- Liaison mental health services
- Therapeutic substance misuse, peer support and detoxification services.
- Interprofessional Independent hospitals and nursing homes.
This Mental Health Nursing (Distance Learning) BN degree offers the opportunity to gain a degree and registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This 3-year undergraduate programme is made up of interprofessional modules and field specific mental health modules that equate 120 credits per year.
Bangor accepts applications for nursing courses throughout the year, while places are still available. As this pathway is in demand, we recommend applications are submitted as soon as possible.
Elements of the course can be available through the medium of Welsh and you’ll be supported to access the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol incentives. For more information on the School's bilingual provision click here
Why choose Bangor University for this course?
- NHS funding currently available to cover fees and a contribution to living costs.
Distance Learning
This new full-time distance learning Nursing degree is a first for Wales, offering a full time distance learning route enabling you to continue to live at home whilst following the nursing degree online. Bangor University’s longstanding excellent track record of delivering nursing degrees ensures that teaching and support is provided by knowledgeable and experienced nursing academic staff. The taught elements of this course will be delivered via our interactive virtual learning environment which will allow you to access lectures, seminars and skills training to help you fit the programme around your learning needs. You will also be able to use the comprehensive range of facilities for all students at our campuses at both Bangor and Wrexham, and regional learning hubs are being established giving you real flexibility in how and where you learn. This distance learning nursing degree incorporates and provides continued personalised support throughout the programme, which we feel is central to our ethos.
As a distance learning course this full-time degree is available to applicants from across the UK with learning consisting of 50% theory and 50% in practice placements. Placements will be organised within Wales, as close to a student’s home address as possible, however travel to placements and hubs may be required to access the range of learning experiences required to complete the course. During your practice learning you will attend your placement for 37.5 hours per week. On your placements, you will have the opportunity to develop and apply your theoretical knowledge and skills in a practical environment, learning about best practice and excellence in patient care from practitioners, patients, carers and relatives, and students from other professions such as radiography, midwifery, physiotherapy, social work.
Tuition Fees Covered
If you are considered a home UK student for tuition fees who can commit to working in Wales for two years after graduating, you could get your tuition fees covered in full through the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme and claim for a £1,000 bursary contribution towards living costs. You can also apply for the means tested bursary that is dependent on household income and other funding that has eligibility criteria for childcare support, dependents allowance and parental learner allowance. You can also apply for the income-based maintenance funding and a reduced rate loan from Student Finance. As this course is funded by NHS Wales, we are unable to accept applications from international students.
Full details are available on our NHS funding page.
Student IT Bursary
Bangor University in partnership with HEIW will ensure that access to technology is not a barrier for suitably qualified applicants wanting to pursue a career in healthcare. Under this scheme applicants to this course are eligible for a £400 bursary (terms and conditions apply) to support the purchase of a computer if they are resident in one of the lowest 20% (areas 1-382) of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation. You can see if your postcode qualifies you on this Welsh Government page.
Technical requirements for studying this Distance Learning course
- A PC or Mac computer, web cam and headset. Most computers under 5 years old will have sufficient specification.
- Access to the Internet a min speed of 2Mbit/sec – note that if others in your household are using your internet connection at the same time you will need faster speeds or sole us of the connection during sessions.
- Access to the Chrome web browser (this is free for download for Mac and Windows users)
- You will also need a copy of Microsoft Office 365 – Bangor students are entitled to a free copy to use during their studies. This can be downloaded once students have completed registration for their course and have their Bangor IT credentials.
- Please note that Chromebooks are not considered suitable for use by students studying on distance/dispersed courses.
Course Content
It is essential for this Mental Health Nursing (Distance Learning) BN degree that you have internet access and a dedicated place to study and use the resources at your pace within the 3-year programme.
On this Mental Health Nursing (Distance Learning) BN degree, you'll have compulsory theoretical study and clinical placements in hospitals, community and/or residential settings within Wales. Placement provides excellent practice-based learning experiences across Wales for learning programme students. These supervised placements enable you to observe professionals at work , observe high quality team working, and enable participation in the delivery of nursing care in a supported way, while developing your confidence and skills in many areas of nursing practice.
You will receive excellent support from a personal tutor who is a registered nurse and an academic member of staff. For this programme you will have regular meetings via technological platforms allowing multiple aspects of theoretical and clinical learning to be discussed and supported.
During placements you will be supervised and assessed by practicing, experienced registered nurses and other professionals. Theoretical and practical work is assessed through assignments, examinations, presentations, and the All-Wales Assessment of Clinical Practice portfolio.
Where will I study?
The taught elements of this course are delivered at a distance using a range of online and virtual platforms. Practice placements will be allocated to each student on an individual basis and as close to home as possible.
What will you study on this course?
The ability to study at your own pace utilising specially developed materials and resources delivered through multiple media is a key component to learning in this programme. It is essential you have a place to study with internet access.
Bangor University’s underpinning philosophy is of promoting intelligent kindness and compassionate leadership, and these are woven throughout the curriculum. Interprofessional modules promoting a student-centred approach and recognising the value of learning from past and current experiences as well as that of service users and the introduction of new knowledge. The learning, teaching and assessment strategies are designed to support students towards being an independent learner and that progresses towards becoming a registered practitioner.
The assessment strategy is designed across the programme to be progressive and will encourage you to develop critical thinking and analysis. The modules foster reflective learning; reflective learners are able to engage in independent reflection in order to achieve personal learning and in order to pursue practice excellence. Being a research-led University, we have embedded research principles and skills in research and enquiry into these modules in a progressive manner enabling the student to move from locating evidence (year one) to appraising evidence (year two) and finally to applying evidence (year three).
Within the distance learning nursing programme, inter-professional education (IPE) will be a key component in health care practice teaching; its aim is to prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for collaborative patient centred practice. The dispersed learning programme will include IPE which is interactive focussed learning that encourages active collaboration between professions.
Using this methodology within the programme, you will be equipped to develop the knowledge, skills, and competence in relation to values, ethics, roles, responsibilities, and inter-professional communication. Inter-professional education affords you the opportunity to experience how other disciplines apply differing emphases to areas such as professional ethics and work collaboratively to deliver comprehensive patient care.
In practice, you will have opportunities to collaborate with professionals such as physiotherapists, radiographers, midwives, and social workers. Bangor University is developing models for virtual placement opportunities within NMC standards and developing use of virtual reality within its current programmes in order to equip the student with the skills and knowledge to becoming the proficient practitioner within an interprofessional workforce, within best practice guidance, and for the benefit of future patient care.
For 2022 entry the Bachelor of Nursing programme (Distance Learning) is mapped to the 2018 Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards of proficiency for registered nurses and the Future Nurse: Standards of proficiency. The new programme ensures nurses have greater understanding of patient/client needs across all four fields of nursing practice, but remaining field focused. The programme prepares future registrants with team working and leadership skills and enhanced knowledge in public health which is needed to deliver care in different settings to support health and well-being for people you care for.
You’ll develop therapeutic interpersonal skills and professional behaviours, values and attitudes expected of a mental health nurse to ensure the safety and protection of people of all ages and their carers and families. You will develop skills for assessing mental health needs; formulating, planning and reviewing mental health care; implementing care and therapeutic interventions for mental health; and applying mental health legislation to practice.
Facilities
- Blackboard, the University’s online learning environment, allows you to access module content, pre-recorded course material, seminars, discussion boards and the ability to access live lectures if needed. The content can be accessed at any time that suits you, and you can interact with other students in the form of a virtual common room.
- Our approach to learning puts you at the centre, we utilise many different software platforms – such as Teams, OneDrive, Microsoft SWAY etc.
- Clinical skills will be delivered in a dynamic and interactive virtual environment to simulate the practice learning experience enabling the development of clinical skills. We use Laerdal vSim software which is a web-based Virtual Simulation system that will help build confidence and competence in delivering patient care as it allows students to interact with patients in a safe, realistic online environment and provides personalised feedback. We also use an online clinical skills platform to support our clinical skills teaching and for students to put best practice into practice.
- On placement you will have the support of a link tutor from the University and we also have Practice Education Facilitators / Community Hospital Education Facilitators who also support students throughout placement.
Nursing facilities
- The University has newly refurbished clinical skills facilities which include a two bed High Fidelity suite, a seven bay ward and additional flexible clinical skills areas that provides a simulated environment that will help to prepare you for clinical placements.
- High Fidelity simulation involves the use of sophisticated life-like mannequins in realistic patient environments which have that the ability to mimic at a very high level a broad range of human body functions.
- This immersive learning will include using simulation to transport students to practical scenarios (via Virtual Reality Experience, VR), giving you the opportunity to practice skills and interact in real-time.
General University Facilities
Library and Archive Services
Our four libraries provide a range of attractive study environments including collaborative work areas, meeting rooms and silent study spaces.
We have an extensive collection of books and journals and many of the journals are available online in full-text format.
We house one of the largest university-based archives not only in Wales, but also the UK. Allied to the Archives is the Special Collections of rare printed books.
Learning Resources
There is a range of learning resources available, supported by experienced staff, to help you in your studies.
The University’s IT Services provides computing, media and reprographics facilities and services including:
- Over 1,150 computers for students, with some PC rooms open 24 hours a day
- Blackboard, a commercial Virtual Learning Environment, that makes learning materials available on-line.
Entry Requirements
As this course is funded by the NHS and students have to have placements in the local NHS Health Board we are unable to accept applications from international students.
Entry Process for Professional Courses
Bangor’s recruitment and selection process seeks to identify strong candidates who demonstrate academic aptitude, commitment, motivation, and values that show the potential for those required of NMC registrants. All applicants must satisfy a range of entry criteria, please see the NMC’s Standards for Preregistration Nursing Education. NMC entry requirements include demonstrating good health and good character. The entry requirements outline the minimum educational requirements. If selected, applicants will be expected to attend an interview.
The School requires all candidates to undertake an enhanced criminal record check and other requirements for demonstrating good character; the local Health Board will be responsible for setting the requirement for good health. The criminal records check will include an enhanced DBS check for the child and adult workforce including a check of the barred lists. Applicants who have lived or worked outside the UK are also required to undertake a criminal records check in their countries of residence. Candidates with entry qualifications older than 5 years must demonstrate evidence of recent study at an appropriate level. For further information and advice please contact the School at health.applications@bangor.ac.uk
Academic requirements
GCSEs: applicants must normally have, or be working towards, a minimum of five GCSE grades A*-C/9-4 including GCSE Welsh or English first language and Mathematics/Numeracy (or a recognised alternative qualification), but consideration is given to individual circumstances.
Recognised alternative qualifications for Welsh/English and/or Mathematics are Essential Skills Level Two in Communication and Application of Number, or Functional Skills Level Two in English and Maths (must be achieved within the last 3 years). The Irish Leaving Certificate minimum of O4 is the equivalent to GCSE Grade C/4.
Offers are tariff based, 104 - 120 UCAS tariff points for the Bachelor of Nursing programmes:
- A Levels: General Studies and Key Skills not normally accepted
- T-Levels in a relevant subject will be considered on a case by case basis
- BTEC National Extended Diploma: DMM - DDM
- Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: DMM- DDM
- City & Guilds Advanced Technical Extended Diploma (1080): contact us for advice
- International Baccalaureate Diploma
- Extended Project Qualification: Points can include a relevant Extended Project (EPQ) but must include a minimum 2 full A-levels, or equivalent
- Access: to include Distinction / Merit profile (maximum 9 Passes)
- Welsh Baccalaureate: We will accept this qualification in conjunction with other level 3 qualifications
- Irish Leaving Certificate: 104 - 120 points from a minimum of 4 Higher Subjects
- FETAC QQI Level 5 Certificate in Nursing Studies: distinction profile
We welcome applications from mature students who are completing an Access HE Diploma or who have evidence of recent study at Level 3 or above in the past five years which meets our entry requirements. Please note: We do not accept NVQ Level 3/QCF Level 3 as a means of meeting our entry qualifications.
For a full list of accepted Level 3 qualifications, go to www.ucas.com.
Interview and selection for Mental Health Nursing (Distance Learning)
All applicants who meet the minimum academic entry requirements will be required to attend a group interview, after which candidates will be notified if they have been shortlisted and further information will be required before final acceptance onto the course can be granted. Please visit the interview and selection for BN Nursing page to find out more.
General University Requirements
To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.
We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.
All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.
As part of the University’s policy, we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.
We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.
As this course is funded by the NHS and students have to have placements in the local NHS Health Board we are unable to accept applications from international students.
Entry Process for Professional Courses
Bangor’s recruitment and selection process seeks to identify strong candidates who demonstrate academic aptitude, commitment, motivation, and values that show the potential for those required of NMC registrants. All applicants must satisfy a range of entry criteria, please see the NMC’s Standards for Preregistration Nursing Education. NMC entry requirements include demonstrating good health and good character. The entry requirements outline the minimum educational requirements. If selected, applicants will be expected to attend an interview.
The School requires all candidates to undertake an enhanced criminal record check and other requirements for demonstrating good character; the local Health Board will be responsible for setting the requirement for good health. The criminal records check will include an enhanced DBS check for the child and adult workforce including a check of the barred lists. Applicants who have lived or worked outside the UK are also required to undertake a criminal records check in their countries of residence. Candidates with entry qualifications older than 5 years must demonstrate evidence of recent study at an appropriate level. For further information and advice please contact the School at health.applications@bangor.ac.uk
Academic requirements
GCSEs: applicants must normally have, or be working towards, a minimum of five GCSE grades A*-C/9-4 including GCSE Welsh or English first language and Mathematics/Numeracy (or a recognised alternative qualification), but consideration is given to individual circumstances.
Recognised alternative qualifications for Welsh/English and/or Mathematics are Essential Skills Level Two in Communication and Application of Number, or Functional Skills Level Two in English and Maths (must be achieved within the last 3 years). The Irish Leaving Certificate minimum of O4 is the equivalent to GCSE Grade C/4.
Offers are tariff based, 104 - 120 UCAS tariff points for the Bachelor of Nursing programmes:
- A Levels: General Studies and Key Skills not normally accepted
- T-Levels in a relevant subject will be considered on a case by case basis
- BTEC National Extended Diploma: DMM - DDM
- Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: DMM- DDM
- City & Guilds Advanced Technical Extended Diploma (1080): contact us for advice
- International Baccalaureate Diploma
- Extended Project Qualification: Points can include a relevant Extended Project (EPQ) but must include a minimum 2 full A-levels, or equivalent
- Access: to include Distinction / Merit profile (maximum 9 Passes)
- Welsh Baccalaureate: We will accept this qualification in conjunction with other level 3 qualifications
- Irish Leaving Certificate: 104 - 120 points from a minimum of 4 Higher Subjects
- FETAC QQI Level 5 Certificate in Nursing Studies: distinction profile
We welcome applications from mature students who are completing an Access HE Diploma or who have evidence of recent study at Level 3 or above in the past five years which meets our entry requirements. Please note: We do not accept NVQ Level 3/QCF Level 3 as a means of meeting our entry qualifications.
For a full list of accepted Level 3 qualifications, go to www.ucas.com.
Interview and selection for Mental Health Nursing (Distance Learning)
All applicants who meet the minimum academic entry requirements will be required to attend a group interview, after which candidates will be notified if they have been shortlisted and further information will be required before final acceptance onto the course can be granted. Please visit the interview and selection for BN Nursing page to find out more.
General University Requirements
To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.
We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.
All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.
As part of the University’s policy, we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.
We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.
Careers
Health boards across Wales are the primary employment destination for many of our graduates. Throughout the NHS and other health and care settings, there is a clear career structure supporting nurses in their development from staff nurse working on a ward, for example, to autonomous consultants managing a caseload of patients in the community. In addition to this there will be opportunities to utilise your qualifications abroad.
Nursing is an ever growing and innovative profession and nurses are working in multi professional teams across health and care settings. Nursing positions are split into different bands all of which have different salaries.
Nurses are in a unique position to deliver care in partnership with people and carers, wherever care is needed. Across the health and care system there is an increased focus on preventing ill health, enabling people to self-care, to be partners in their care and to have a better quality of life. The rapid pace of advances in medical and nursing care, treatment and technology is creating new career opportunities for nursing with rapid developments in different service provision and ways of working. There are many different types of nursing and varied opportunities for career advancement and work in a variety of settings.
Career opportunities can range from front line staff, working in leadership or management, a specialised nurse or consultant nurse role and many other exciting and unique options.
There are opportunities to work as a mental health nurse in a variety of collaborative roles such as in Accident and Emergency Departments, Prisons and forensic services liaising with the Criminal Justice System, and with the Local Authorities and Social Care services. There are clinical and academic nurse career opportunities such as nurse consultants in children and adolescent mental health or dementia care. Nurses are in a unique position to deliver care in partnership with people and carers, wherever care is needed.
Opportunities at Bangor
The University’s Careers and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions.
Internships
Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments.
Student Volunteering
Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about volunteering on the Students’ Union’s website.
