3. Introduction
• Psychiatric nursing has evolved over many years and some issues affecting
the profession today are connected to history
• The practice of psychiatric nursing has undergone numerous changes during
its evolution, including the role and function of the psychiatric nurse.
• Knowing the history and its evolution can provide information on the
current practice and the study of the past can provide a vision of how things
might be done differently in the present and in the future.
4. Cont.
• Since time in memorial, there has been a limited recognition of mental
disorders and an attempt by the community to deal with it.
• It was against this background that the mental health services of Malawi
began not in the community or in the hospital, but in Zomba Central Prison
5. How it started
• The evolution of psychiatric nursing dates back to the 1900s when Malawi
was then Nyasaland, a British protectorate
• Staff and prisoners at Zomba Central Prison found that they were disturbed
by a number of inmates who were clearly mentally disturbed
• It was decided that it would be much better to separate those prisoners.
Therefore, In 1910, mental health services started at Zomba central Prison
when three mentally ill inmates were identified and a Lunatic Asylum as a
wing was established. Staffed by prison warders
6. Cont.
• In 1928, Government passed the Asylum and Lunacy Ordinance law which
had a provision on how the mentally ill can be treated with humanity
• In 1943 an annex was built at Zomba Prison where quieter clients lived a less
confined life and grew their own food as a form of occupational therapy.
7. Cont.
• In 1948 the Mental Treatment act was enacted to replace the previous law,
Asylum and Lunacy Ordinance
• In 1951 Government medical Department took over the care of the mentally
ill at the Prison.
• In 1953 Zomba Mental hospital was opened. Medical assistants with the
help of attendants took care of the mentally ill
8. Cont.
• In 1955 Dr. Baker the first psychiatrist came with a team of foreign
psychiatric nurses to work and provide care to the mentally sick at Zomba
Mental Hospital
• In 1970s Malawian nurses were sent abroad to train as psychiatric
nurses. Later on psychiatric nursing was integrated in the generic
nursing programs and all health related training programs
• In 1982, the first group of enrolled psychiatric nurses graduated
from Zomba School of Nursing to allow the development of
services to district hospitals and communities
9. Cont.
• In 1994 St John of God established mental health services in the
Northern region of Malawi
• In 2003 St John of God in Mzuzu introduced the Bachelor of
Science Degree in Psychiatric Nursing
• 2015: Kamuzu College of Nursing in Malawi enrolled the first
student for a Post Basic Bachelor of Science in Mental Health
Nursing program. In the same year, the first group of direct
entry Bachelor of Science in Mental Health Nursing program
was introduced at Kamuzu College of Nursing.
