Undergraduate mental health nursing placements

Mental health placements are quite different to other nursing placements.

For those undergraduates who intend to specialise in mental health for their career, it can be very exciting to undertake this placement. For others, we understand that you might feel apprehensive about what will be expected of you during your placement.

Regardless of where your career takes you, you will provide nursing care to people who have had or are experiencing mental ill health, so developing mental health nursing skills is important.

Before your first day

To get ready for your placement:

1. Download and read the Nursing undergraduate mental health placement handbook
2. Read the Entry to Practice Electronic Medical Record access
3. Watch the video on patient privacy in the EMR
4. Watch the recovery story videos
5. Revise your university module on mental health
6. Complete this form and declaration
7. Complete the relevant training on:
   • Hand hygiene
   • COVID-19 infection control training (see the handbook)
   • Mask fit testing (see the handbook)
8. Make sure you know where you are going and how you will get there. Check the location of where you need to go in the handbook and ensure that you leave enough time to find your way and park.

On your first day

• Wear your student ID
• Bring your university appraisal document and placement requirements
• Bring evidence of the following:
  • Valid National Police Check
  • Valid Working with Children Check
  • Valid immunisation status
  • Evidence of completion of hand hygiene
  • Evidence of completion of COVID-19 training (if not valid, refer to handbook)
  • Mask fit testing (if not valid, refer to handbook)