Exploring mental health nurses' expectations and experiences of working in the community

As mental health care is increasingly being provided in community settings, a variety of job opportunities are becoming available to mental health nurses. The extent to which nurses' views and experiences of working in community settings have been explored, however, is limited. This paper reports on newly qualified nurses' plans in relation to taking up work in the community and, for those who thought it likely that they would take up such work, their reasons for doing so. Reasons for working in the community were diverse, and suggested that a range of satisfactions could be expected. The extent to which such expectations become a reality is considered in the light of findings from interviews with 12 nurses who were working in community settings. Satisfactions and difficulties experienced by the 12 nurses are described, and suggestions for tackling some of the difficulties are made.