Abstract
Objective: To provide an overview of the interdisciplinary team from the perspective of a psychiatric nurse.
Conclusion: Psychiatric nursing has undergone many changes over the years, including changes to the training and registration of nurses and the scope and location of their activities. Tensions within the interdisciplinary team may emerge from a lack of understanding of the skills and abilities of the nurse. Nurses bring a breadth of skills to the interdisciplinary team, but often lack depth within individual skills. Models of interdisciplinary teamwork also need to consider the variety of practice settings that nurses work within, including residential settings and rural and remote communities.