BSc (Hons) Nursing- Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship (Mental Health)

• 104 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
• Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Health and social care-related subjects are preferred.
• Applicants should have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English, Mathematics and preferably Science. If an applicant has yet to achieve appropriate Level 2 English and Mathematics qualifications, then with their employer's support, they can complete suitable equivalents locally or with assistance from the University before commencing the apprenticeship. Please contact apprentices@bolton.ac.uk for a list of acceptable GCSE equivalents, further information and support.
• Qualifications gained outside England and Wales will be assessed on an individual basis according to guidance by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).
• The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) or Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) route may be used for entry. If your apprentice has already successfully completed an FdSc Nursing Associate programme approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council or an FdA Health and Social Care (Assistant Practitioner) qualification, then they may be eligible to apply for exemptions towards the BSc (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health). If they apply to join the degree at Level 2 (HE5), they may make a claim for recognition of prior learning (RPL) up to a maximum of 50% of the programme. Please note that they will be required to produce a portfolio of evidence towards this RPL claim. Please contact us for further details.
• Each candidate will be considered and selected on an individual basis by both the employer and academic staff.
• After successful short-listing, applicants will be invited to take part in our values-based recruitment process. The interview process will involve face-to-face interviews with academic staff, practice staff and service users. Applicants will also be assessed on their values, behaviours, communication and problem-solving skills, and undertake a numeracy and literacy assessment. We're seeking apprentices who can demonstrate commitment to a nursing career, have excellent communication skills, and are caring, compassionate and courageous.
• Applicants who are successful at the interview stage will be asked to undergo occupational health screening and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check by their employing organisation.
• Applicants must demonstrate that they are of good health and good character and satisfactorily pass occupational health screening.
• Apprentices will need to demonstrate that they are of good health and good character prior to enrolment and on an ongoing basis throughout their studies and career.
• This course involves regulated activity, so applicants must have an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting their studies. This is confirmed with the employer and does not require an additional certificate.
• Admission to this programme is only available to applicants who meet ESFA eligibility criteria, including the following: 1) They are employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week in a role relevant to the apprenticeship. 2) They have valid residency status and the right to work in England and can provide a valid BRP card (valid beyond the end date of the programme including End-Point Assessment (EPA)), and a ‘Right to Work’ share code for validation. 3) Their employer is willing to sponsor them to spend a minimum of six hours per week of their time in off-the-job training, including attending the University (times and dates to be determined) for the duration of their course. Please note that an apprentice cannot be self-employed. ESFA eligibility criteria may change so please contact apprentices@bolton.ac.uk for up-to-date information.
• If English isn’t the applicant's first language, they will also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
• To be eligible for tuition fee funding through the Apprenticeship Levy, candidates should not normally have already completed a qualification at the same level as the proposed apprenticeship, unless that qualification was gained in a completely unrelated discipline.
• Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

The University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) Nursing - Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship (RNDA) (Mental Health) is designed to meet the Degree Apprenticeship Standard for Registered Nurse (ST0781). Developed by employers, the standard underpins a highly relevant qualification and professional development pathway that educates apprentices to provide nursing care for people with complex and concurrent mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural care needs.

Upon successfully completing the RNDA, graduates will possess the knowledge and skills needed to perform as independent, highly competent, compassionate nurses. Employers can expect them to have a wide range of transferable skills, such as the ability to work independently, adapt to changing circumstances, work in teams and groups, and listen and respond to customers and their needs. They will be adept at planning and time management, rational decision making, critical thinking, physical assessment, and possess excellent communication skills.

Our RNDA programme also offers a well-recognised career advancement pathway for qualified nursing associates and assistant practitioners. It may be possible for employees who already hold an appropriate foundation degree to top up their qualifications and become mental health nurses in two years or less (the maximum possible exemption is 50% of the programme). This proven route recognises their prior learning and experience and allows them to take on full nursing responsibilities more quickly.

What can I do with this qualification?

The course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

On successful completion of the programme, graduate apprentices will be eligible to apply for professional registration with the NMC.

Successful apprentices will be awarded a BSc (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health) from the University of Bolton and a degree apprenticeship certificate from the relevant awarding body.

Apprentices will not be expected to pay tuition fees towards this programme. If your organisation has a wage bill of more than £3 million per annum, then it may be able to fund this apprenticeship through its Apprenticeship Levy contributions. If your organisation does not pay the levy, it will be eligible for government support to fund apprenticeships. This support, called co-investment, covers 95% of the apprenticeship's tuition fees, with your organisation funding the remaining 5% of the fees.

Home/EU Fees

Apprentices will need to be employed by your organisation for a minimum of 30 hours per week. Your organisation will also need to commit to sponsoring apprentices to complete this qualification.

For further information on how your organisation can access funds to support apprentices, please e-mail apprentices@bolton.ac.uk.

Whether you’re an employer, employee or school leaver, please visit our Apprenticeship web page for support and advice regarding apprenticeships.

International Fees

International applications are not possible for this course

As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.

We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

There are no bursaries associated with this programme.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

Modern healthcare professionals require a range of skills and values. Our tutors will work with your organisation to ensure your apprentices gain experience in various clinical scenarios designed to develop their skills in a safe and supportive environment. Learning focuses on your workplace environment and builds the transferable body of knowledge and skills required to achieve professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a mental health nurse and apply this expertise within your organisation. Your apprentices will be supernumerary throughout the programme to enable them to achieve the NMC requirements to enter the register and fulfil the required level of off-the-job training specified for apprenticeships by the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

The course explores the concepts of mental health within the population, and the key sciences in nursing, including the biosciences, psychology and sociology. Topics such as assessment, care planning, law, ethics and the importance of communication with service users and healthcare colleagues are covered. Apprentices will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of research and how its application in healthcare can transform the lives of patients and their carers, along with how to access and assess the latest research and incorporate their findings into care plans and intervention strategies.

We'll work to help your apprentices gain key transferable skills, including the ability to work independently, adapt to changing circumstances, work in teams and groups, and listen and respond to customers and their needs. We'll also encourage them to develop planning and time management, rational decision-making, critical thinking, physical assessment and communication skills during their studies. We aim for your apprentices to grow into compassionate, kind and empathetic practitioners who respect and support patient privacy, dignity and individuality, and make safe and effective clinical decisions.

To complement lectures that introduce the course content, seminars and group-based activities allow apprentices to explore subjects in greater detail. Tutorials give them the opportunity to clarify their understanding of the topics we cover in lectures and seminars. We use case studies and practical scenarios to help apprentices apply their newly acquired academic knowledge to their nursing practice and gain valuable insights into contemporary healthcare. Apprentices will also be expected to undertake considerable guided independent study; for instance, library research and background reading, preparing for seminar and tutorial activities and working on assignments.

To help support your apprentices' learning, the University offers additional study skills sessions, such as essay writing, library skills and electronic searching, and numeracy. Inter-professional health and social care practitioners will also contribute as guest speakers, offering your apprentices the chance to further develop their knowledge and understanding.

A range of assessment methods will be used, including essays, reports, presentations, portfolios, set exercises via multiple-choice questions, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), traditional examinations, and assessment of practice within the practice setting. Some assessments contribute to their final module marks, while others are designed to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses and where they need to seek extra support from course tutors.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Principles of Nursing Practice
• Managing Health Through All Stages of Life
• Accountability and Professionalism
• Wider Approaches to Global Health
• Enhancing Clinical Skills: Assessing Planning and Providing Evidenced Based Care and Procedures and Interventions
• Medicines Management
• Coordinating Integrated Healthcare
• Embedding Person Centred Care/Evidence Based Approaches
• Advanced Clinical Skills and Procedures
• Leadership, Management and Quality in Healthcare

Assessment methods

Level	Assessment method
Level 1	Coursework 56% Practical exams 23% Written exams 22%
Level 2	Coursework 56% Practical exams 33% Written exams 11%
Level 3	Coursework 50% Practical exams 25% Written exams 25%

Learning Activities

Level	Activity
Level 1	Guided independent study 20% Placement/study abroad 50% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 30%
Level 2	Guided independent study 20% Placement/study abroad 50% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 30%
Level 3	Guided independent study 20% Placement/study abroad 50% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 30%

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.