Annual Salary
£30,000 to £45,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Mental health nurses work in hospitals and the community, to support people with mental health issues.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
3.8% more Mental health nurse jobs in 2027.
In this role you could:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work at a health centre, at an adult care home, in an NHS or private hospital, at a client's home, at a GP practice or in a prison.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You can do a degree in mental health nursing approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. You might be able to study another area of nursing alongside mental health nursing.
You might be able to do a degree in mental health nursing and social work. You'll need to check that the course is recognised by the relevant professional bodies.
You might be able to join the second year of a nursing degree if you already have a degree in:a health-related subject; psychology; life sciences; social work
Full-time courses usually take 3 years.
Armed forces
You can also train as a mental health nurse in the armed forces. You can find more information at:British Army; Royal Air Force; Royal Navy
You'll usually need:
You might be able to apply for a Registered Nurse Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship, if you work in a healthcare setting like a hospital.
The degree apprenticeship takes around 4 years and is a mix of academic study and on-the-job training.
You'll need the support of your employer to do a degree apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
You'll find it helpful to get some experience before you apply for nurse training.
You could:
If you're already a registered nurse, you might be able to take an 18-month mental health nursing conversion course to become a mental health nurse.
You'll need to speak to your employer if you want to take this route.
You'll need to:
You'll be expected to understand how the NHS values apply in your work when applying for a course or apprenticeship.
You can find advice about working and training as a nurse from the Royal College of Nursing and Health Careers.
With experience you could:specialise in an area of mental health like working with children, teenagers or women; become a clinical team leader, ward manager or health visitor; move into management and become a matron or director of nursing; become an advanced nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist or nurse consultant if you have a postgraduate qualification; carry out research and training, become self employed or work overseas
You'll need: