Master of Mental Health Nursing

Description

The Master of Mental Health Nursing is intended for registered nurses wishing to undertake a specialist qualification in mental health nursing. The main focus of the program is on clinical practice in an area of mental health service provision. In addition to providing foundational studies in mental health nursing, the program also provides opportunities to study issues and topics of particular interest such as dual diagnosis, psycho-social and psycho-educational interventions, mental health care for older people, illness management and recovery and mental health in primary care.


In line with these new developments in mental health care, the main focus of the Master of Mental Health Nursing is on clinical practice in an area of mental health service provision. In addition to providing foundational studies in mental health nursing, the program also provides opportunities to study issues and topics of particular interest such as dual diagnosis, psycho-social and psycho-educational interventions, mental health care for older people, illness management and recovery and mental health in primary care. The intention is to produce graduates who will be able to work effectively as mental health nurses in any health care location.

Requirements

Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Nursing or equivalent. Applicants without a Bachelor degree should consult the program convenor.
Applicants should be currently employed in mental health position, or able to access this type of position for the purposes of undertaking the program. Students must be able to negotiate an ongoing arrangement for mentoring/clinical supervision by a suitably qualified and experienced Registered Nurse.

Notes

Qualified mental health nurses are in very short supply in Australia and many other countries at a time in which innovative models of care are being introduced in public and private health services. The career development prospects for this exciting specialist field of nursing are thus excellent. Mental health nurses work in a wide variety of service locations, in both the public and private sectors. The discipline is rapidly developing with new models of care being developed in areas such as rural mental health, child and adolescent mental health, mental health nursing in emergency departments and mental health nursing in primary care (general practice).

Graduates of the program are eligible to seek to be credentialed as mental health nurses under the Credentialing for Practice Program of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.