Because of the serious implications of Grunberg's remarks, significant discussion followed. 'It was subsequently recognized,' stated the minutes of this meeting, 'that Council members take a firm and decisive stand and commence total revamping, this to include our role and philosophy, our name and identity and the curriculum.' A motion was passed 'That we do not identify ourselves as 'the' nurse.' A motion 'That we investigate the legal implications for a change of name in the Act,' was carried. It was also moved and carried that 'We accept in principle but subject to further consideration a change in name to 'Mental Health Worker'.'

The Council considered the question of a change of name as urgent, and made plans for a special meeting of the membership to make a decision. A newsletter went out to all members suggesting the title Mental Health Worker, but explained that 'This was in no way a firm kind of name.'⁸⁷

One of the members who reacted strongly to this was W. Vowles. In a letter to the Council he stated:

I can fully agree the curriculum may need revising to meet modern changes in the care and treatment of the mentally sick, but I fail to see that this should call for a change in name. Your choice of title is alarming to me. The definition of a nurse is to tend in sickness or infirmity; the definition of a patient is one suffering from an ailment; the definition of a worker is one who works as a labourer.

Vowles felt the proposed changes would destroy the good image psychiatric nurses had built up over the years, and that the Act did not empower the Council to change the name. Further, the change in name would result in having to make changes in the aims and objectives of the Association and in the Psychiatric Nurses' Pledge. 'Is it worth all the risk, time and trouble in order to carry out the suggestions made by the Director of Psychiatric Services?'⁸⁸

On January 17, 1967 SPNA members gathered in bitterly cold weather from all over the province to attend a meeting called for the purpose of discussing the controversial 'name change' issue. Kay Fey, President of the SPNA, opened the meeting by stating that

One of the first responsibilities of the elected officers of any association is to protect the interests of its members. In this case, the psychiatric nurse's rights and privileges to work, function and receive recognition and remuneration as a professional person. The possibility of a change of name is not a new one as some people think, nor have we been stampeded to irresponsible action by the words of one man as others have stated. It is incomprehensible to me that members of this Association could think or believe that Council would do anything blandly detrimental to the psychiatric nurse, for each one of us on Council are [sic] also vitally concerned with our own future in the mental health field.

This motion was then read to the membership:

That the Provincial Council of the SPNA continue their investigation with legal counsel towards preserving the identity of Psychiatric Nurse. If such investigation proves unfruitful, that the Provincial Council be further empowered to take such action as they deem necessary to preserve our identity including the opening of the Act before the Legislature and an eventual change of name upon approval by a mandate of this Association.

In the confusion that followed, the motion was read a dozen times and it was requested that Fey give her interpretation of the motion. She complied, reiterating what she had said prior to the motion being read. Still not satisfied, the membership demanded her interpretation in writing and she read the following:

My interpretation is that the Act cannot be opened, or, before a change of name can take place, the membership will be requested to state their views in the form of a secret ballot to every member of the Association.⁸⁹

Following the meeting, five members resigned from the Provincial Council, including Fey, who commented later: 'It is my contention that the action and demands by the membership was a direct insult upon the intelligence and integrity of their President and Provincial Council Members.'⁹⁰

On March 1, 1967 a new Executive was elected. The newly elected Secretary, Mel Kruger, upon reflection stated that

Emotions were running high as hell. There are still people who have dropped friendships because of it. This whole issue shattered things for awhile. I'd say it was about two years before we got things really running smoothly again, because of the dissention it caused, and also because of all the new people on Council.⁹¹

Psychiatric nurses went back to their jobs to face the world as nurses. The SPNA had the immediate challenge of rebuilding a shattered organization and to address the changes in nursing education that appeared to be both imminent and beyond its control. Over the next two years the SPNA continued its business, organizing a new SPNA central office, restructuring the Council and amending its Bylaws to reflect this change. It also continued to plan a future for psychiatric nurses in the community-oriented mental health field, and continued to explore the establishment of a degree program in psychiatric nursing.⁹²

In September 1969, the Psychiatric Services Branch employed Colvin Peyson to assess the current psychiatric nursing program. He was to examine the training program in meeting the needs of the Psychiatric Services Branch, and to assess the various teaching institutions in terms of methods of instruction, personnel requirements, student selection and types of students entering the courses. His main task, however, was 'To determine why so many psychiatric nursing students are failing the University examinations for registration in the SPNA.'

The resulting report concluded that there was a great deal of room for improvement in the academic preparation of the instructors and in two of the schools' programs of clinical supervision and instruction of students. More specifically, the report made a number of recommendations. The first was that supervision and instruction in clinical areas should be instituted by the present instructors at the Weyburn and Moose Jaw schools. The second was that all teaching in junior and senior years should be concurrent, that is, theory should be combined with practice. The third recommendation was that all instructors meet the minimum academic requirements for teaching. The fourth called for a curriculum committee to be set up in each of the schools.⁹³