Background: Psychiatric nursing and working with those with psychiatric disorders represent
unpopular career preference in relation to other areas of nursing. Aim: The aim of this study
was to identify nursing students' attitudes toward psychiatric nursing and psychiatric patients.
Research design: A descriptive design was utilized in this study. Setting: This study was
conducted at the Faculty of Nursing in El-Minia and Assiut Universities. Sample: Total
sample was 369 nursing students the sample included all 1st grade students who did not study
psychiatric nursing course in both Universities and all 4th grade from El-Minia University and
all 2nd grade from Assiut University who studied psychiatric nursing course recently. Tools:
Three tools were utilized to measure the variables of the study: Personal data questionnaire,
self report scale for measure nursing students' attitudes toward mental health nursing and
attitude scale for mental illness. A semi structured interview was used to collect data from
students. Results: results of this study revealed that, females represent 88.9% of the sample.
Concerning the nursing students' attitude toward psychiatric nursing, there was a significant
improvement in students' attitudes toward preparedness for mental health field and anxiety
surrounding mental illness components. While there was a slight decline in nursing students'
attitudes toward psychiatric nursing services after studying psychiatric nursing course. In
relation to attitude toward psychiatric patients, there was a significant improvement in the
attitude of nursing students toward benevolence and stigmatization subscales while there was
a decline in students' attitude toward restrictiveness subscale after studying psychiatric
nursing course. Based on the results of the present study it can be concluded that, there was a
slightly improvement in students' attitudes toward preparedness for mental health field and
anxiety surrounding mental illness components. However, there was a decline in students'
attitudes toward future career and valuable contribution components after studying psychiatric
nursing course. It is recommended that, Projects and programs for decreasing stigma and
promoting mental health issues include symposiums on mental health policy is needed to
improve the attitude about psychiatric nursing career and psychiatric patients.