Introducing a new model of emergency department-based mental health care

This article highlights the importance of the three-phase process used to develop and implement an emergency department-based, mental health nurse practitioner (MHNP) outpatient service in a teaching hospital in Sydney. Australia. The project included a feasibility study and a model refinement phase followed by implementation and pilot evaluation. Support for the initiative was secured through early engagement with relevant stakeholders, from exploring the potential for the proposal through to pilot evaluation. Preliminary findings from the pilot study are presented. The authors propose that the project succeeded by emphasising a nursing model of practice.