Abstract

population of 26,000, with nursing staff of approximately 300 professional nurses and 3,400 practical nurses and aides. The aim was directed to the care of the 32,000 patients through the 175 seminar students and indirectly through the 5,000 nurses and aides. Particularly within the state hospitals taking part in the project, the impact of this programme would be very great-a method of dissemination of knowledge to a large group of personnel, and the continuing effect of the students putting into practice the principles of psychiatric nursing as taught to them. The well-developed plan for this project, the philosophy, the purposes, the objectives, and the methods devised to carry it out are indications of how the director of the project and her staff were able to bring it to successful conclusion. The plan as originally set up, 18 seminars of 2-week duration, enabled over one-fourth of the registered nurses in the participating hospitals to attend. This in itself merits the attention of all those responsible for care of the mentally ill, with the hope that they will have a similar project in their district. The value of this type of teaching could not be adjudged immediately but could help