St. Brendan's and the community: mental health services in Ireland

1. In Ireland, the regional administrators--including the chiefs of nursing and psychiatry--have as their responsibility all of the related outpatient clinics, day hospitals, day care centers and community residences, including all levels of acuity. Discharge planning becomes easier than in the United States. 2. In Ireland, Assessment Units are unlocked, nurses are in uniform, there is no equivalent of a Master's prepared clinical specialist or an advanced level Nurse Practitioner, and residences are integrated into neighborhoods. 3. The majority of chief psychiatric nurses and officers and nurse tutors in Ireland are men. Teaching is not a top priority of staff nurses, and nurse tutors are not involved regularly with students on the wards.