Community nursing issues in Maori mental health

This paper derives from the first study of its kind to explore the issues and implications of a new role for mental health nurses at a time when the health care system in New Zealand was undergoing rapid changes and a new Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 had been implemented. This praxis research study utilized interviews and focus groups to address a range of issues in the practice of mental health nurses. This paper reports on the competing cultural perspectives in the nursing care provided to Maoris. This is an important issue for the community in bicultural New Zealand, and has clear relevance to mental health nursing in multicultural communities.