Employability
You’re interested in BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing and supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society, but do you know about the range of careers that will be available to you once your course is complete? Here's just a few of the numerous specialist areas that could be open to you after you successfully complete your degree...
Find out more
View the Mental Health Nursing course page to see how you can start your mental health nursing career.
Adult mental health services
Adult mental health services encompass a wide range of community, residential and hospital-based environments which support the mental health needs of adults. Specialist support can include crisis resolution, assertive outreach, acute in-patient services and primary care services.
Children and Adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
Mental health services for children and young people are configured to ensure that those under the age of 25 have access to the right support at the most appropriate time. There is a focus on mental health promotion and the prevention of mental distress so many of the services on offer centre around wellbeing and combating stigma.
Mental health services for people in later life
Older people’s mental health services are likely to focus on those disorders associated with ageing, such as dementia or other organic mental health problems. Like most mental health service provision, support for older people can be in a community or in-patient setting.
A guide to older adult services
Forensic and/or prison-based mental health services
These services provide mental healthcare for mentally disordered offenders in prisons, medium secure mental health hospitals and community settings.
Service user guides to secure mental health services
Perinatal mental health services
These services provide mental healthcare for individuals and families who experience mental health problems as a result of pregnancy and childbirth. In-patient services are available in Birmingham as well as community outreach services. Birmingham is recognised as a centre of excellence for mental health service provision to mothers and their newborn children.
More about perinatal mental health
Moving up through the bands
Employment opportunities in all of the above environments are readily available for newly-qualified mental health nurses, usually starting at Band 5. In in-patient settings, Band 6 nurses usually assume some kind of line-management responsibility whereas, in community settings, Band 6 nurses will be expected to carry caseloads and have a degree of autonomous practice.