Mental Health Nurses require a diverse skills base to aid service users and their carers on their journey to recovery. During their training, students need to acquire and demonstrate skills to show that the care they provide is evidence-based and effective. Skills as diverse as assessment, forming therapeutic interactions, caring for physical and mental health needs as well as leadership and management, can be difficult to learn and master - until now!

Mental Health Nursing Skills provides students with a highly evidence-based and practical account of the skills required for nursing practice. Written in response to the Chief Nursing Officer's review of Mental Health Nursing in England and that of the Scottish Executive, the authors translate theory into clearly applied skills supported by practice examples, tips and online activities. By inviting contributions from nursing academics, researchers and practitioners this text reflects the best of theory and practice.

Each chapter discusses the policy and evidence base for each skill, so students know their practice is rigorous, before outlining a step-by-step description of that skill. 'Practice Example and Tips' boxes demonstrate how the skill can be used on placements. Students can develop their skills through online quizzes, scenarios and activities on a free dedicated Online Resource Centre, which also provides updates on evidence, clinical guidelines and protocols every six months.

Clearly mapped against all the benchmarks expected by professional nursing bodies and suitable for all settings, Mental Health Nursing Skills provides a high quality and student friendly account of the skills that are required for nursing practice.

Readership : Students undertaking their studies in mental health nursing and mental health care at an undergraduate level, and/or at a post graduate level where an evidence-based practical text is required.

Part I: Putting values into practice
1. Patrick Callaghan: Introduction to Mental Health Nursing: Past, Present and Future
2. John Playle & Penny Bee: Service Users expectations and views of Mental Health Nurses
3. Linda Cooper: Values Based Mental Health Nursing Practice
4. Patrick Callaghan & Paul Crawford: Evidence-Based Mental Health Nursing Practice
5. Theo Stickley & Gemma Stacey: Caring: The Essence of Mental Health Nursing
Part II: Improving outcomes for service user
6. Jean Morrisey: Interpersonal Communication - Heron's Six Category Intervention Analysis
7. Jeanette Hewitt, Michael Coffey & Greg Rooney: Forming, Sustaining and Ending Therapeutic Interactions
8. Alan Simpson & Geoff Brennan: Working in Partnership
9. Julie Repper & Rachel Perkins: Recovery and Social Inclusion
10. Helen Waldock: The essence of Physical Health Care
11. Judith Gellatly & Karina Lovell: Fostering Guided Self Help
12. Dave Richards: Behavioural Activation
13. Dan Bressington & Mark Wilbourn: Medication Management
14. Richard Griffith: Legal, Professional and Ethical Issues
15. Sarah Eales: Risk Assessment and Management
16. Julia Jones & Sarah Eales: Practising Safe and Effective Observation
17. Martin Anderson & Keith Waters: The Recognition and Therapeutic Management of Self Harm and Suicidal Behaviour
18. Richard Whittington & David Riley: The Prevention, Recognition and Therapeutic Management of Violence
19. Peter Phillips and Patrick Callaghan: Working with people with Substance Misuse Problems
Part III: A positive, modern profession
20. Ben Hannigan: Interagency and Interprofessional working
21. Sara Owen & Clare Fox: Personal and Professional Development
22. Neil Brimblecombe: Leadership and Management

Patrick Callaghan is a Mental Health Nurse and Chartered Health Psychologist. He is Professor of Mental Health Nursing at the University of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire NHS Healthcare Trust. Here he heads a research programme designed to enable people to recover from mental distress, leading on service evaluation, testing the effect of psychosocial interventions on health and wellbeing and investigating links between mental health nursing and service user outcomes.

John Playle is Professor of Mental Health Nursing at the University of Manchester. He has published and presented on various aspects of mental health nursing and mental health workforce issues arguing strongly for a greater voice for service users in the design and delivery of mental health services and care. He is Chair of the national group: Mental Health Nurse Academics (UK).

Linda Cooper is the Professional Head of Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Psychosocial Care, Cardiff School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, Cardiff University, UK. She is a strong advocate for the development of psychological mental health nursing skills and is published in the area of clinical supervision research. She is a member of the All Wales Senior Nurse Advisory Group for Mental Health and is the Vice Chair of the national group: Mental Health Nurse Academics (UK).