Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Mental Health) Careers
Key information
Employability skills from this degree
- Flexibility
- Adaptability
- Empathy
- Organisational skills and time-management
- Leadership
- Determination and tenacity
- Conducting research
- Utilising research and evidence-based practice
- Problem-solving and decision-making
- Collaboration
- Working in partnership with different disciplines
- Teamwork
- Compassion
Professional responsibility and accountability
- Critical thinking
- Reflection
Further study options
- MSc Perinatal Mental Health
- MSc Nursing (Psychosocial Interventions in Mental Health Care)
- MSc Nursing (Older Person)
- MSc Nursing (Dementia Care)
- MSc Nursing Advanced Practice
Job titles for graduates with this degree
Upon registration with NMBI, there are many different employment and career opportunities available to Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPN). On registration, nurses can work as a staff nurse in inpatient and community settings. Nurses can also specialise and become a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP). Specialist areas include, for example, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Addictions, Forensic Psychiatry.
Recent graduates of this programme are working as Registered Psychiatric Nurses in hospitals, in the community, and in the private sector in Ireland, the EU and outside the EU.
Student Profiles
Sarah Moloney
I was always interested in mental health and how the brain works. With mental health, it’s different to treating broken bones or cuts and bruises - it can be the same illness with different presentations. You see something different every day, and you’re constantly learning.
The course has a good balance of both theory and practical work. In years 1 and 2, there are lots of common modules between the disciplines, such as anatomy and physiology and pharmacology. As you progress, you concentrate more on your discipline-specific core modules, such as child and adolescent mental health, mood disorders and psychotic and personality disorders. You spend a lot of the 4 years on placement, which prepares you for the work of a registered nurse. You will get the opportunity to work in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and acute mental units.
When you complete a nursing course at UL, the opportunities are endless. Nursing can bring you all over the world, and if you’re not interested in travelling, you have so many areas you can branch into, like working with those who experience enduring mental illness, care of the elderly, community work and specialist services such as drug and alcohol. What I love about my course is how much I’ve accomplished over the 4 years. I love that I’m going to be qualified in something that I enjoy doing and look forward to further opportunities.
