This article presents the preliminary findings from a qualitative study of what users of mental health services need from psychiatric and mental health nurses. The study has found that, ideally, nurses need to give time and energy, emotional commitment and knowledge to clients

The true nature of psychiatric nursing and what it ought to be is hotly debated. To date, there have been conflicting ideas about what nurses actually do and what they ought to do. According to Michael (1994), many of the skills of psychiatric nurses are ‘invisible’ which makes the true value of psychiatric nursing difficult to recognise and define. Barker and Reynolds (1996) call upon nurses to be more client-centred and to listen to client needs. Davidson (1992) suggests that nurses should define a clear professional role - distinct from the role of other members of the healthcare profession - while Goumay (1997) urges nurses to develop common core competencies, shared with other professionals, to provide a more team-led approach to the management of serious mental health problems. This context provided an impetus to the current research.