BACKGROUND Worldwide despite growing evidence of the importance of mental health for economic, social and human capital, people with mental health problems and even the very concept of mental health, receive negative publicity and are stigmatised in public perceptions. Negative and stigmatising attitudes are found even among healthcare staff including nurses. Today, the focus of psychiatric care is on de-institutionalisation: this depends on a number of key conditions, of which tolerance and nondiscrimination are among the most important. To deal with that problem, intervention has to be started from the healthcare professional's level itself, for which the present attitude of them has to be understood.The aim of this study is to assess the attitude of nurses towards patients with mental illness in a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODSStaff nurses in each ward are approached, were given socio-demographic data sheet and attitude towards Mental Illness questionnaire. RESULTSWe approached 140 staff nurses working in various wards, ICU's and casualty of Pariyaram Medical College; 27 were not willing to participate in the study. Among the 113 participated, 10 had to be excluded due to incomplete data sheet. Final sample size of the study was 103. Most of them (90%) were females, in younger age group; 75% were married and 73% were from nuclear families. Majority (83%) had diploma in nursing; 74% of them were having > 10 years of experience as staff nurse. Only 35% of them had experience in psychiatry ward; 25% of them had got training in psychiatry. Positive and negative attitudes were analysed in each subscales showing more of positive attitude in all subscales except for pessimistic prediction. Younger age group nurses (20 -30) showed more positive attitude towards mental illness when compared to older age group (31 -50). Males showed more positive attitude in all subscales except for benevolence. Female nursing staffs showed more benevolence scores. Nurses who were married had more positive attitude. Nurses with diploma had more positive attitude than nurses with BSc degree. Training in psychiatry during their nursing course was not found to changing the attitude. Experience in psychiatry ward showing significant negative attitude in stereotypy. CONCLUSIONThis study explored the attitude of nurses towards mental illness in tertiary level general hospital settings. This is pointing out the area to be intervened to abate discrimination and stigma regarding mental illness in the society.