Aim To inform the implementation phase of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) review of pre-registration nursing by documenting the change priorities as perceived by a group of mental health students.

Method The sample comprised 34 students from one pre-registration mental health nursing cohort. A questionnaire was used to obtain views on the six features the students would like to change and the six features they valued most about the pre-registration nursing course.

Findings The students’ views were analysed in relation to the phase two criteria of the NMC review, and the results were listed in rank order. The evaluative comments were grouped into two themes: ‘clinical placement experiences’ and ‘views on learning and teaching strategies’. The students’ main change priority was the need to enhance mentor support and the most valued feature was the variety of, and work involved in, clinical placements.

Conclusion Recommendations included a physical care skills programme that is specific to mental health; field (discipline)-specific competencies that reflect interprofessional work in mental health; and support provided by mentors and sign-off mentors that complies with the NMC standards.