[Psychiatric nursing consultation and liaison: how do nurses understand this activity?].

This research aimed at identifying the knowledge of nurses working in medical and surgical clinics and with burned patients as to psychiatric nursing consultation by means of a semi-structured interview. Care situations considered to be difficult were related to instrumental resources and provision of psychological support. Most of the nurses try to listen to patients' complaints, but they do not know what else they could do. Whenever they need help, they think of colleagues, bosses, psychologists and psychiatrists. They know the specialty of the psychiatric nurse and believe that this professional can help with emotional support to the patient and the nursing team. They consider consultation and liaison to be an evaluation of the patient by another specialist.