This is a departure from the usual schemes of either general or psychiatric nursing as the students from the beginning are expected to view the patient as a complete person, with sickness of body and/or mind-indeed, the disease of one part having varied effects on the others. It is hoped the students will develop an understanding of the needs of human beings and of inter-personal relationships, and also examine their own and others attitudes.

This scheme is not to produce a ''super" nurse, but one who is skilful and efficient in the practice of nursing, able to help people in times of stress in a positive way.

There will be two intakes of students a year-in January and August. An eight-week introduction followed by study sessions varying from four weeks to one week throughout the course, each session preparing the students for the next ward experience.

At the end of three and a half years, internal examinations will be taken, but the students become registered as State Registered Nurse, Registered Mental Nurse, at the end of the fourth year. This last six months is to enable the student to gain experience in the field of her choice. It is hoped some will choose aspects of general nursing and others psychiatric nursing.

In this way, it is hoped to keep the student stimulated throughout training, in the knowledge that all work is taken into account with the final examination.

Ward experience will be gained in The London Hospital, St. Clement's Hospital, Mile End Hospital, and also a large psychiatric hospital in Essex where there are patients who need care over a long period of time: Community Nursing and Obstetric Nursing are also included.

It is far too early to evaluate this course. At the moment, the first four students have finished their introductory course and are in their first medical ward. They have written an assessment of their introduction to nursing, which will help a great deal in the planning of the August school,in which we expect fourteen students. The scheme is planned to take twelve to fourteen students in each intake, twice a year.

These students already have had experience of other nurses' attitudes varying from great interest in the new training scheme to incredulous exclamations of pity and doubt at the thought of anyone wanting to train for four years, to: "Why on earth do you want to do mental nursing?"  Why not, indeed? To quote Dr. Clark Kennedy's famous introductory lecture to countless groups of student nurses at The London Hospital:

"What is a patient-what is a person? What is dis-ease?"

Review No. 39
October 1970