Registered mental health nurses support and care for people with a range of mental health conditions, in hospital and community settings, and help them towards recovery and management of their conditions.
Also calledPsychiatric nurseNurseCommunity psychiatric nurseRegistered nurseCommunity mental health nurseStaff nurseand 2 more titles
Recruitment from abroad. 100 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Nigeria, India, Eswatini, ranking it 99th of 313. Home Office
Who does it
ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
31%aged 55 or over
72%hold a degree
73%women
Age of mental health nurses
Age profile of mental health nurses
17%!
23%!
29%!
25%!
6.2%!
25–3435–4445–5455–6465+
!Small sample: treat with cautionShow as table
25–34
17% (small sample)
35–44
23% (small sample)
45–54
29% (small sample)
55–64
25% (small sample)
65+
6.2% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Highest qualification held by mental health nurses
Degree or equivalent72%
Higher education below degree21%
A levels or equivalent!2%
GCSEs or equivalent–
Not published
Other qualifications!1.3%
!Small sample: treat with cautionShow as table
Degree or equivalent
72%
Higher education below degree
21%
A levels or equivalent
2% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent
Not published
Other qualifications
1.3% (small sample)
Main employers: hospital activities (55%), regulation of the activities of providing health care, education, cultural services and other social services, excluding social security (17%), other human health activities (15%), residential care activities for learning disabilities, mental health and substance abuse (5.6%).
How to get in
Hold a degree
72%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work
Routes in
You can get into this job through:
University
You can do a degree in mental health nursing approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
You might be able to get extra student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.
You may be able to do an extended degree that combines mental health nursing with another nursing branch. You'll need to check that this type of course is recognised by the NMC.
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.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
2 or 3 A levels, including a science, or a level 3 diploma or access to higher education in health, science or nursing
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Registered Nurse Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship, if you work in a healthcare setting, like a hospital or clinic.
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.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
Other ways in
Work your way up
You could work as an assistant practitioner or nursing associate and study for a shortened nursing degree to qualify as a registered mental health nurse.
Volunteering
You'll find it helpful to get some experience before you apply for nurse training.
You could:
get work experience in social care
volunteer with a charity that offers mental health support services
search for opportunities with NHS Volunteering
find openings through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT
Other routes
If you're already a registered nurse, for example in adult nursing, you may be able to complete a conversion course to become a mental health nurse. Courses normally take between 1 and 2 years.
What you’ll need
pass enhanced background checks
Registration and professional bodies
Registration
you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
Career tips
You would be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values would apply in your work.
Further information
You can find advice about how to become a mental health nurse from the Nursing & Midwifery Council and Health Careers.
Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for mental health nurse. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The work
ONS · ESCO · O*NET
Typical tasks
provides day to day support for and, in some cases, physical care for patients with a variety of mental health conditions
participates in the preparation for physical and psychological treatment of patients with mental health conditions
monitors patient’s progress, encourages patients to participate in different therapies
administers drugs and gives other forms of treatment
works with other mental health professionals
provides information to patients and their families about a patient's condition, how to manage it and possible treatments
Skills
accept own accountability
adapt leadership styles in healthcare
address problems critically
adhere to organisational guidelines
advise on healthcare users' informed consent
advise on healthy lifestyles
analyse the care quality
apply context specific clinical competences
apply health sciences
apply nursing care in long-term care
apply person-centred care
apply sustainability principles in health care
carry out nurse-led discharge
comply with legislation related to health care
Knowledge
impact of social contexts on health
Suits people who like
Helping and caring for people
Working with ideas and solving problems
Outlook
DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for health professionals, a group of 24 jobs that includes mental health nurses.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 19%about 310,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.3 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.
This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.
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