Access to Mental Health Nursing

The Access to Higher Education course is one year in duration. Upon successful completion you will be awarded a diploma that will gain you entry to degree level study at a choice of most UK universities. This particular pathway is designed for anyone wanting to progress into a career mental health nursing.

What do I learn?

You will study mental health, professional healthcare practice (PHP), human physiology. Assessment is coursework and exam based.

What do I gain?

The main aim of this course is to prepare students for study at university. Students will receive subject specific study skills preparation, as well as tuition in subjects that are relevant to their chosen degree course. Once awarded the Access to HE Diploma, students will be able to start a university degree, provided they have met the entrance criteria for their chosen universities.

What do I need?

To apply for a place on the Access to HE course, there are no requirements in terms of prior academic qualifications. However, applicants are required to sit an initial maths and English assessment to determine if their level of literacy and numeracy is sufficiently high to cope with a level 3 course. The outcome of this might be that an applicant is advised to complete maths and/or English at GCSE before being considered for the Access course. On the other hand, if an applicant scores well on the initial test, it is possible to do maths and/or English alongside the Access diploma, but it should be noted here that this is a substantial workload.

What can I do next?

Higher Education to study, for example:
• mental health nursing
• nursing
• healthcare
• psychology

What else do I need to know?

The Access diploma DOES NOT top up UCAS points. It is a stand-alone qualification for which you receive credits.

You should apply through student services. There are three parts to the process of application. Firstly, you will be invited in for the initial assessments. This consists of two tests lasting twenty minutes. If you achieve the score required by the department to be considered for a place, then the next step is to be invited in for interview.

Lastly, if successful at the interview stage, you will be asked to come into college to participate in a two hour workshop. In this session, you will be monitored to see how you operate in a classroom environment. Importantly, it is also a chance for you to see if you would be happy learning at Reading College.