Personal development in Mental Health Nursing

What skills and qualities would I need?

The Mental health nurses’ health care environment is complex and challenging yet very rewarding, so you need:

• Communication Skills - excellent interpersonal skills and communication abilities are needed when dealing with a variety of people from different backgrounds.
• Good Initiative - At times an adult nurse will have to deal with unexpected situations and will need to be able to act on their own make quick decisions.
• Organisational Skills - An adult nurse could be working with several patients at once so it is useful to have good skills when it comes to organisation.
• Emotionally Strong - To be good at problem-solving and strong when dealing with patients is helpful.
• Commitment - An adult has to be fully committed to continued learning throughout your career.

What Courses can I choose from?

There are several ways to becoming a mental health nurse. They are:

Queen's University

Course name - BSc Honours/Diploma in Nursing
For more information visit the
Queens University Website

University of Ulster (Magee)

Course Name - BSc Hons Nursing (Mental Health)
For more information visit the
University of Ulster Website

Alternative Entry - Open University

If you are employed as a work assistant or support worker then your employer can sponsor a group of nursing assistants to undertake a part-time diploma in higher education at the Open University in Belfast.