module specification

This module introduces you to mental health nursing in primary, community, and social care settings, focusing on mental health needs, health inequalities, early intervention, and collaborative care beyond institutional environments. It emphasises holistic, equitable, and person-centred care, addressing social determinants of health, anti-discriminatory practice, and equitable access to services. 

You will develop foundational knowledge and practical skills in therapeutic communication, multidisciplinary collaboration, family engagement, and person-centred care, preparing you to effectively support service users, caregivers, and professionals in community settings. 

The module integrates biosciences, health promotion, and professional practice, providing a comprehensive understanding of the physical, psychological, and social aspects of mental health within a social justice framework. You will explore ethical decision-making and professional accountability, ensuring safe, compassionate practice, and learn key legal frameworks, including the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983/2007, the Mental Health Act Bill 2025, the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, and the Human Rights Act 1998. This module lays the foundation for evidence-based, person-centred mental health nursing practice, equipping you to support individuals within their communities, reduce inequalities, and improve access to care.

At the end of the module, you will be able to:  
• Understand mental health nursing in community, primary, and social care settings.
• Demonstrate skills in therapeutic communication, multidisciplinary collaboration, family engagement, and person-centred care.
• Identify social determinants and health inequalities impacting mental health.
• Apply ethical and legal frameworks relevant to community mental health nursing.
• Deliver culturally sensitive, recovery-focused, and anti-discriminatory care.  
• Integrate biosciences and professional practice knowledge to assess and address mental health holistically.

This module employs a spiral learning approach to progressively develop your knowledge and skills in community-based mental health nursing, emphasising early intervention, ethical practice, legal frameworks, interdisciplinary collaboration, and social justice. 
 
The module begins by exploring the foundations of mental health nursing in community settings, where you will examine the roles and responsibilities of mental health nurses in primary care and community services, contrasting these with traditional institutional models. You will consider how health inequalities and social determinants such as poverty, housing, employment, and discrimination impact mental health, while emphasising anti-discriminatory and culturally competent practice (LO1, LO2). 
 
You will then build on this foundation through understanding mental health and illness from psychological and sociological perspectives. This includes examining definitions and theories of mental health, stigma, labelling theory, and social attitudes towards mental illness. You will also apply the biopsychosocial model and relevant psychological (e.g., cognitive-behavioural, humanistic) and sociological (e.g., functionalism, social constructionism) frameworks to nursing care (LO2, LO4). 
 
In the next stage, you will focus on mental health conditions commonly encountered in community settings, such as mild-to-moderate anxiety and depression, stress-related conditions (e.g., PTSD, workplace stress), substance use issues, dual diagnosis, and neurodivergence (ASD, ADHD). You will learn to identify risk factors, early warning signs, and assess their impact on individuals and families (LO2). 
 
The module progresses into critical areas of ethical and legal frameworks underpinning community mental health care. You will explore key legislation, including the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983/2007, upcoming Mental Health Act Bill 2025, Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, and the Human Rights Act 1998, examining their implications for patient rights, autonomy, safeguarding, confidentiality, and professional accountability in community settings (LO3).And will consider the importance of your own fitness to practise in relation to your care-giving (LO3). 
 
Following this, you will learn practical skills in early intervention and crisis management in the community, including strategies to prevent hospital admissions, identify early signs of deterioration, conduct suicide risk assessments, and apply harm reduction methods. Collaboration with social workers, primary care teams, voluntary organisations, and non-medical interventions (e.g., social prescribing, digital health platforms) will be emphasised (LO5). 
 
Further, the module addresses essential therapeutic communication and engagement skills, focusing on culturally competent and trauma-informed approaches. You will practise motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive-behavioural-informed techniques, and learn to effectively engage with families, caregivers, peer support networks, and remote digital mental health supports (LO4, LO5). 
 
You will also explore person-centred and recovery-oriented approaches, emphasising recovery models, strengths-based strategies, and the role of peer support workers and experts by experience in mental health care. You will understand how to support individuals transitioning from acute care back to the community (LO1, LO4). 
 

This module employs a blended learning approach, combining scheduled teaching activities with self-directed study to actively engage students in experiential and reflective learning. Case-based and problem-based learning (CBL/PBL) activities are used extensively, where students analyse realistic scenarios involving mild-to-moderate mental health challenges. These cases provide opportunities to explore early intervention strategies, ethical and legal considerations, and the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in community mental health care.

Simulation-based learning plays a significant role, enabling students to practise therapeutic communication, trauma-informed engagement, and crisis response strategies within safe, realistic environments. Role-play exercises and simulated home visits with standardised patients help build confidence in assessing and supporting individuals in community settings. Reflective learning is deeply embedded, with students maintaining journals to document and critically reflect upon their experiences from simulated practices and community placements. Peer discussion groups (PDGs) further enrich reflective practice, facilitating critical discussions on ethical dilemmas, personal biases, and case-based reflections.

Community-based engagement activities, including field visits to local mental health services, primary care clinics, and social support organisations, foster direct learning from service users and professionals. Collaboration with voluntary sector partners on mental health promotion projects encourages students to apply their learning practically. Guest lectures and interdisciplinary workshops with primary care practitioners, social workers, psychologists, and service user advocates provide diverse perspectives, promoting a holistic understanding of community mental health care.

Through the virtual learning platform WebLearn, students engage in self-directed study, accessing online resources, recorded lectures, discussion forums, and digital assessments. This approach ensures a flexible balance between guided learning and independent inquiry, essential for professional development in mental health nursing.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Describe the role of mental health nurses in community and home-based care, highlighting the importance of early intervention, health promotion, and collaborative working to support individuals and families.
2. Identify common mental health challenges in the community, applying the biopsychosocial model to assess mental health needs, considering social determinants such as poverty, housing, culture, and discrimination.
3. Understand and explain the ethical, legal, and professional responsibilities of mental health nurses in community settings, including safeguarding, confidentiality, consent, and social justice principles in line with NMC standards and fitness to practice policy and procedures.
4. Demonstrate foundational skills in therapeutic communication, culturally sensitive engagement, and trauma-informed care to build trust and support recovery in diverse community populations.
5. Apply early intervention and crisis response strategies, working collaboratively within interdisciplinary teams and non-institutional support systems (e.g., social prescribing, voluntary organisations) to enhance inclusive and accessible mental health care.

List available here: NR4003 Intro to Mental Health Nursing in Primary, Social and Community Care Settings | London Metropolitan University