Mental health aftercare. Where is nursing?

The author reviews nursing's entrance into mental health aftercare and relates it to the problems that have ensued since the 50s. The role of the community mental health nurse is explored and compared with concepts of aftercare and perceptions of prominent psychiatric/mental health nursing authors. The realities of community mental health nursing in the '80s are contrasted with the thoughts and the ideas of others endeavoring to make contributions to the needs of discharged psychiatric patients. The author reminds us that aftercare begins before the patient leaves a psychiatric facility and stresses that nurses are a natural bridge between the hospital and the community.