The General Nurse's Training and Psychiatry

With the passing of the Mental Health Act 1959, the task of caring for the mentally ill and those in need of mental rehabilitation is now laid on a far wider section of the community. Since one of the basic aims of the new act is to bring mental health into lino with physical health, entry to hospital for those in need of treatment is now on more informal lines. We know that plans are being made to expand community facilities in order to shorten or prevent their hospitalisation, and these two factors are obviously going to affect nurses working both in hospital and in the public health fields, many of whom at present have had little or no training in psychiatric nursing.