The nurse-client relationship is a mutual learning experience and a corrective emotional experience for the client. The terms 'learning' and 'corrective' imply a change in the participants' behaviour. Because the prospect of change is threatening, the skillful nurse provides a climate for the client that is conducive to expressing feelings at every step in the course of the nurse-client relationship. Both positive and negative feelings are appreciated; both are put into the service of the problem-solving venture other than being allowed to impede it. To the extent that this occurs, the nurse-client collaborative efforts further the experience of each participant.

In examining the clinical environment that may influence the first-year college graduate's attitudes toward continuing learning, four case studies were conducted in hospitals within the Illawarra Area Health Service, New South Wales. The exploratory research attempts to determine the extent to which desired educational changes occur and where improvements could be made to the educational process. This paper reports the research findings.

It is difficult to understand properly the characteristics and problems of professional development in nursing without reference to the clinical settings in which nursing exists. This exploratory study, using case study methodology, attempts to determine important aspects of that context, with particular focus on the roles of the nurse unit managers who appear to be influential on the way professional nursing development is perceived in nursing. An emerging picture from this study which requires rigorous conceptual analysis is leadership and the notion of team. It is particularly evident in this study that a delicate interplay appeared between the style of leadership by the Nurse Unit Manager and the context in which a team environment was provided.

In nursing, a commitment to continuing education appears to be a relatively new concept. There have always been nurses who are continuing learners throughout their professional lives. Too often, this is incidental, rather than planned. There appears to be a need to re-examine current approach in continuing nursing education.

Most health organizations evaluate policies and programmes periodically. Mental health services, without exception, also need to examine their established practices with particular concern about their propriety and effectiveness. As mental health services are coming under increasing pressure to function as self-evaluating organizations that carefully link planning, service delivery and assessment, choices must be made regarding which evaluative strategies are most relevant to the development of mental health services. This paper examines some of the methodological issues in the outcome evaluations in mental health services.