“I am currently in my final year on the two-year BSc Hons Mental Health Nursing Apprenticeship at Greenwich and my employer is the South West London and St. George’s Foundation Trust. Before this course I completed a Foundation Degree Apprenticeship as an Assistant Practitioner.”
“I chose to do this apprenticeship as I am incredibly passionate about my role as an Assistant Practitioner and training as a Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMHN) is a natural progression in my career. I love the work I do and find it extremely rewarding. I am looking forward to completing my course and becoming more accountable and responsible in my role. I am also looking forward to the development opportunities that will be available to me as a RMHN. The apprenticeship was an amazing opportunity for me as it was not financially viable for me to study independently.”
“The course itself can be challenging, and I would say it can be difficult to manage time and keep a good balance of study and personal life. I have had to learn to be more disciplined with how I structure my time! That said though, the course is structured really well and supports a balance, as I rotate my blocks of time between theory, placement and my usual place of work, so it is easier to manage time and apply myself to my studies.”
“The course teaches aspects of physical health care and the correlation between physical and mental health. However, the majority of the course focuses on mental health; common and less common types of mental illness; recovery pathways; treatment; and how to care for someone ensuring you are applying person centred care, which enables the client and their carers/loved ones to be involved as much as possible in their care pathway. It also teaches you how to calculate medication and administer it safely. It is an excellent course and prepares you for professional practice.” “The apprenticeship means that you can continue working in your current role. For example, during holidays from university an apprenticeship is contracted to either work or take their annual leave. It also means that you continue to receive a salary for your current banding which is pretty amazing! As I mentioned earlier the timetable is structured into blocks, so for example you could be at university studying theory for five weeks, then on placement for five weeks, then at work or on annual leave for another three weeks. It is a good way to study as it is not overwhelming as you can focus on one element of study at a time. I started in my second year, so I completed five modules in the second year, and in the third year I have three modules, which includes my dissertation module.”
“I have found the University of Greenwich to be an excellent provider. There are some amazing lecturers, who are really interested and invested in students learning. They encourage student involvement and are very supportive. The campus is beautiful with lots of green space and the pastoral service is very good. IT is efficient and my personal tutor is supportive.”
“I find the course extremely interesting, and the modules are developed well to provide students with the opportunity to gain the most from their studies. I have a real passion for mental health and enabling people to live independently without distress as much as it is viable, depending on their diagnosis”.
“I feel this course will open so many doors for me to develop further and have a positive impact on people’s lives, in particular their mental health.”
