Perinatal mental health (PMH) problems occur during pregnancy and up to a year after giving birth. They can have a significant effect on the mother and family, and can affect the social, emotional and cognitive development of the child. PMH nursing is gaining increasing recognition in national policy; additional funding has been announced to align national perinatal services with agreed standards and the perinatal workforce has been identified as an area of growth.

The PMH competency framework published by Health Education England and the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, London, is aimed at training staff to deliver high-quality care to women who experience mental health problems during the perinatal period. However, the framework does not address the competencies required from the emerging workforce: nursing students. The pre-registration nursing curriculum must align with PMH competencies to ensure that nursing students become competent practitioners who are adequately prepared to care for the PMH needs of the mother and family.