A preliminary study of users' and nursing students' views of the role of the mental health nurse

This paper is a preliminary study, part of a larger project which is endeavouring to ascertain the views of both users of mental health services and those of mental health branch students as to their perceived and desired role of the mental health nurse. Four groups of users (n = 28) and four groups of students (n = 44) were contacted, and recorded group discussions took place in gaining qualitative data that would feed into the main body of research. The views expressed by both users and students are interestingly convergent, but much concern was expressed as to the needed changes in the provision of the service and the danger for students on qualifying to become quickly incorporated into the prevailing dominant culture.