This is a two part article reporting on a qualitative piece of research on the experiences of student nurses in order to consider the process involved in becoming a mental health nurse (Morrissey 2003). It is really an attempt to describe, connect, discuss, and understand the process of becoming a mental health nurse in theory and practice using a qualitative approach (Holliday, 2002; Field & Morse, 1994; Hammersley, 1992; Burnard, 1991; Glaser & Strauss, 1967;). A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were employed to examine the student nurses experiences prior to and one year into their first staff nurse post. The term psychiatric nurse and mental health nurse continue to be used interchangeably in practice and in written texts. However for simplicity the term mental health nurse is used for this text.