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Repertory grids were completed by gerontological nurses (N = 60) to elicit the personal constructs they used to characterize gerontological nurses, effective gerontological nurses and the extent to which participants believed themselves to be effective as nurses working in this specialist field. Analysis of pooled repertory grids indicated that the personal construct 'caring, compassionate, empathetic' was rated most highly as characteristic of gerontological nurses in general and of effective gerontological nurses. Cluster analysis of individual repertory grids showed no significant difference between self-perceptions of participants as effective gerontological nurses and the ideal gerontological nurses they would like to become. Other findings of this research indicate that a variety of aspects of gerontological nursing need improvement if negative perceptions of this area of nursing practice are to be altered.

In June 1994, Government announced i the National Mental Health Strategy entitled ‘Looking Forward’ [1] outlining the goals and strategic directions for the development of mental health services in New Zealand for the next ten years, and which would underpin the on-going development and delivery of mental health services in this country. This strategy not only gave Government's policy directions for mental health, but provided the framework for resourcing mental health service (Table 1). In simple terms the strategy was about more and better services within Government's resources.