Dr. Humphrey Osmond, Superintendent at the Saskatchewan Hospital, Weyburn, echoed McKerracher's challenge in a paper presented at the convention.

What can be done? God helps those who help themselves. Psychiatric nursing can only become a fully-fledged profession through the efforts of psychiatric nurses. No one else can or will do it for them. Other professions may advise and give help when asked, but psychiatric nursing has been the victim of unsolicited help for too long. It should dispense with much of this sort of help without delay. The first thing is to find out what psychiatric nurses do and to assume responsibility for doing this and training others to do it without delay. But the impetus to do this can only come from the present psychiatric nurses themselves. Unless they show a lively and determined professional spirit nothing will be done and the prolonged sub-professional status will continue.⁶²

From 1948 to 1959, the SPNA had accomplished some significant things and had suffered some setbacks. Given the challenge by people like McKerracher and Osmond in 1958, and the impetus toward the implementation of the Saskatchewan Plan by the end of the decade, psychiatric nurses faced the challenge of having to re-establish their goals and their place in the new psychiatry. Dr. McKerracher put it, 'Certainly you can't stand still ' whether you go up or down is up to you.'⁶³

These questions continued to haunt the psychiatric nursing profession throughout the following decade. As they continued to look inwardly for the answers regarding their own identity, other issues surfaced to which they had to turn their attention. The years 1960 to 1972 were, for the most part, committed to writing briefs and collecting data to explain how they were going to fit into the changing mental health field; how they were going to adjust to the new types of working environments, and how they were to train their members to do the work. However, by 1972 the mental health field; the work of psychiatric nurses and where they worked; and the training they completed to perform that work did not, in any way, resemble what it had been at the beginning of this period.

Concepts of the care and treatment of the mentally ill began to change dramatically in the early 1960s. Professionals and lay citizens were demanding better facilities for patients and staff. Hospital psychiatrists were looking at ways of rehabilitating long-institutionalized patients in the community, and beginning to see the potential of psychiatric nurses as group therapists. The new climate began to affect the Association. In April 1960 the SPNA assigned a special research committee the task of keeping abreast of current trends in the care of the mentally ill.

One of the problems the committee faced was to define psychiatric nursing. In an endeavor to clarify the role of psychiatric nurses, both in the present and in the future, the committee sent a letter to doctors, psychiatrists and nurse educators throughout North America, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth countries. The consensus of the responses was that the main areas of need for psychiatric nurses were in the general hospital, the community and the mental hospital. The psychiatric nurse, it was clear, must be prepared to go out of the mental hospital as a skilled professional who could and should be an integral part of the community.⁶⁴

At the same time the new President, Fay Sonnergren, presented specific tasks to the SPNA Education Committee. At a Council meeting in May 1960, the question of the SPNA gaining control of the Psychiatric Nurses' Program curriculum was discussed. It was agreed that the Provincial Council should encourage all psychiatric nurses to avail themselves of opportunities to take post-graduate courses in special fields related to psychiatric nursing, and especially those courses which would prepare them for administrative, teaching and supervisory nursing positions.

At the same meeting it was decided that Council would arrange a meeting with the SRNA Council to establish a post- graduate course that would enable both types of nurses to become trained in both professions. This would involve an evaluation of that part of the psychiatric nursing curriculum pertaining to physical nursing, an evaluation of that part of the curriculum for general nursing pertaining to psychiatric nursing, and the establishment of a post-graduate course to enable both to become dually trained. The Council also agreed to attempt to obtain a seat on the Senate of the University of Saskatchewan for an SPNA representative.⁶⁵

Unaware of the problems they would meet, the Education Committee began working on its duties immediately. It wrote to the Registrar of the University of Saskatchewan to determine the action necessary to gain control of the curriculum, and outlined a tentative course for a dual training program for RN's and RPN's. It also met with the SRNA to discuss its plans. The SRNA did not approve immediately but did promise to give the proposals further consideration. As will be seen, the reason for its reluctance was that, unknown to the SPNA, other plans were being drafted in the area of nursing education.

On May 5, 1961 the SPNA Education Committee met with Dr. F. S. Lawson, Director, Psychiatric Services Branch. He agreed in principle that the SPNA should control its own curriculum and should be involved at the University level. However, he indicated that it would be advisable to work closely with the Psychiatric Services Branch in order to promote cooperation. He volunteered to accompany an SPNA representative to meet with University authorities and make arrangements for the SPNA to gain control of the curriculum. As it turned out the SPNA did not receive total control of the curriculum but it did achieve a place, and thus some control, on the curriculum review committees which advised the University of Saskatchewan, in cooperation with the Psychiatric Services Branch and the Schools of Nursing.⁶⁶

With regard to nursing education in Saskatchewan, it was made evident to the SPNA at a Council meeting in May 1961 that plans were being developed without its involvement or consultation. Fay Sonnergren reported that she had recently attended a meeting with Hazel Keeler, Professor of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan. Sonnergren reported that at this meeting she had been informed that the SRNA had established an internal Ad Hoc Committee to study the future of nursing education. Keeler divulged that one option involved the discontinuation of all existing schools of nursing in Saskatchewan and setting up central schools, probably in connection with the University of Saskatchewan. The schools would use the various hospitals for clinical experience. One tentative plan for the new curriculum envisioned students enrolling in a basic practical course of one year's duration and then taking the specializations such as psychiatry, geriatrics or pediatrics.

Sonnergren reported further that Keeler had indicated that she and Dr. McKerracher were presently formulating a plan to establish a diploma course in Teaching and Supervision in Psychiatric Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan. It was intended to have this course set up by 1963.