Nursing (Child and Mental Health) (MNurs)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Southampton

Program Overview

The MNurs Nursing (Child and Mental Health) at the University of Southampton is perfect for students who want to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people. You’ll combine scientific nursing training with a strong focus on mental health and emotional wellbeing, learning how to provide compassionate, evidence-based care to children, adolescents, and their families.

Curriculum structure

Year 1
Your first year lays the foundation for your nursing journey. You’ll study modules like Introduction to Professional Practice, Applied Health Science for Nursing Practice, and Foundations of Health Sciences for Nursing Practice, while learning the basics of child-centred care. Early placements and simulation sessions let you practise your skills safely and begin to understand what caring for children looks like in real-life settings.

Year 2
In the second year, you’ll build on your foundations with a stronger focus on child health and mental wellbeing. You’ll explore child development, communication, emotional support, and public-health principles, while placements across hospitals and community settings help you gain practical experience in delivering holistic care.

Year 3
Year three takes you deeper into specialist child-nursing practice. Modules focus on clinical assessment and complex care needs for children and young people, including those with chronic illness or mental-health challenges. Placements let you apply your growing knowledge with real patients, developing confidence in both physical and mental health care.

Year 4
Your final year centres on mental-health nursing for children and adolescents. You’ll learn to assess mental health, plan evidence-based psychological care, deliver trauma-informed nursing, and support young people and families through complex challenges. Advanced coursework and final placements prepare you to graduate fully ready for professional registration.

Focus areas:
“Child and adolescent nursing, mental health and emotional wellbeing, family-centred care, clinical assessment, trauma-informed care, evidence-based practice, hospital and community settings.”

Learning outcomes:
“Graduates will provide safe, compassionate, and developmentally-appropriate care to children and young people, assess physical and mental health needs, plan and deliver holistic evidence-based nursing, support families, work across hospital and community settings, and meet standards for registration as both a Child and Mental Health Nurse.”

Professional alignment (accreditation):
You’ll be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as both a Registered Nurse (Child) and Registered Nurse (Mental Health).

Reputation (employability rankings):
Southampton is ranked 3rd in the UK for Nursing by QS, with its mental-health nursing programme ranked 9th in the UK by the Guardian.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Southampton, studying Child and Mental Health Nursing is all about learning by doing. You won’t just sit in lectures — from day one, you’ll practise in realistic hospital-style wards and spend plenty of time on placements in both community and mental-health settings. This hands-on approach lets you gain confidence, develop practical skills, and understand what it really means to care for children and young people.

Here’s how your practical learning will look:

Simulated hospital wards and skills rooms: Train in purpose-built wards with working beds, nurse-call systems, medical gases, and high-tech manikins that mimic real patients. You can practise everything from routine care to emergency scenarios in a safe, realistic environment.
Diverse clinical placements: You’ll spend time in NHS hospitals and community services across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, including child and adolescent mental-health services. This gives you real-world experience and helps you explore the areas of nursing you might want to specialise in.
Structured practice hours: You’ll balance simulation and placement time, ensuring you practise skills safely under supervision while gaining real patient experience.
Supportive supervision: Experienced registered nurses guide you during placements, offering feedback and mentoring so you develop both competence and confidence in your practice.
Team-based learning: You’ll work alongside other healthcare students in simulations and placements, reflecting the interprofessional teamwork that’s vital in real healthcare settings.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduating from Southampton’s MNurs in Child and Mental Health means you’ll be fully qualified to register both as a Child Nurse and a Mental Health Nurse, giving you a fantastic foundation to start making a real difference in children’s lives. Many of our graduates go on to roles such as Paediatric Nurse, Mental Health Practitioner in child and adolescent services, Community Care Nurse supporting families, or Specialist Nurse combining child and mental-health care. With the practical experience, dual registration, and strong reputation of this programme, you’ll be ready to step confidently into professional nursing right after graduation.

Here’s how Southampton supports your career journey and ensures you’re ready for the workforce:

Career guidance and support: The School of Health Sciences works closely with the university’s Careers & Employability Service to provide CV and interview advice, career planning, and access to the annual Health Sciences Careers Fair where you can meet potential employers in hospitals, mental-health services, and community care.
Employment prospects and earnings: Around 95% of graduates from this programme find professional work or continue to further study within 15 months of finishing. Starting salaries typically range around £30,700, increasing steadily as your experience grows.
Professional accreditation: You’ll be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as both a Child Nurse and Mental Health Nurse, giving your qualification long-term value and flexibility to work in multiple settings.
Diverse work environments: Graduates can work in hospitals, community services, outpatient clinics, CAMHS, and other settings addressing both the physical and mental health of children and young people.
Pathways for growth and specialisation: With this integrated master’s degree, you’ll have a strong platform to pursue specialist areas, leadership roles, research, or advanced practice in child and mental-health nursing.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the MNurs, you can continue your studies with postgraduate degrees in specialist nursing, advanced clinical practice, public health, paediatric care, mental-health research, or leadership roles. Southampton’s strong clinical and academic foundation makes it easy to shape your career in the direction that excites you most.