Mental Health Nurse (Student)

Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility, the joining process is as follows:

• Submit an application

  Once you’ve registered your interest and have satisfied the basic eligibility criteria, you will be sent an online application form

• Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA)

  You’ll be tested on: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Work Rate, Spatial Reasoning, Electrical Comprehension and Mechanical Comprehension.
  To prepare, you can practise the DAA

• Interview

  A formal interview to talk through your suitability for the role. This is normally conducted using your own device over the Shine video platform

• Medical and eye tests

  These are quite comprehensive and must be completed by one of our Ministry of Defence-approved doctors

• Pre-Joining Fitness Test (PJFT)

  This involves completing a 2.4km run on a treadmill within a certain time, at a fitness centre near you

• Student Nurse Assessment Board

  This is a 1 day board held in November each year in Portsmouth where you will deliver a 10-minute presentation on a clinical subject, take part in a team working exercise and sit a 30-40 minute interview with the Nurse Education Advisor and Specialist Medical Recruitment Team.

• Candidate Preparation Course (CPC)

  This four-day induction to life in the Royal Navy, including a Swimming Test and a fitness assessment, is a pass or fail course

• Start training

  Once you’ve passed a Security Check, you’ll be offered a place at HMS Raleigh. University intakes are either September or January, depending on when you get your A-level results. You’ll start at HMS Raleigh 12-14 weeks before you’re due to join BCU. 

Your Royal Navy career begins with 10 weeks’ basic training at HMS Raleigh, a shore base in Torpoint, Cornwall. The discipline, teamwork, organisational, firefighting and weapon handling skills you learn here will stay with you right through your career. 

Aim to get yourself as fit as possible before you arrive. You’ll be doing a lot of physical exercise, and you’ll find it much easier if you’re already in shape.

There's also a swimming test, so if you can't swim, make sure you learn by the time you join us.

You’ll study for your degree at Birmingham City University and you’ll have to balance your studies with additional military training. Once you’re registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and you’ve completed your Military Transition Course, you’ll take up your first post as Acting Leading Naval Nurse at a Department of Community Mental Health Centre in major base port areas; Plymouth, Portsmouth or Scotland. 

You’ll then begin your preceptorship programme, start signing off your Defence Operational Nursing Competencies and continue your development as a qualified Mental Health Nurse.