Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 26:5–9, 2005 Copyright c  Taylor & Francis Inc. ISSN: 0161-2840 print / 1096-4673 online DOI: 10.1080/01612840590883573 FROM THE GUEST EDITORS— GEROPSYCHIATRIC INPATIENT CARE: AN IMPORTANT AND CHALLENGING AREA OF NURSING PRACTICE Marianne Smith, MS, ARNP, CS Janet K. Specht, RN, PhD, FAAN Kathleen C. Buckwalter, RN, PhD, FAAN University of Iowa, College of Nursing, Iowa City, Iowa, USA As the authors of this special issue have so aptly noted, the number of complex, frail older adults with comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions is predicted to increase rapidly in the next two decades (Jeste et al., 1999). In turn, specialized care settings to diagnose and treat mentally ill older adults and a cadre of expertly trained health providers who have expertise in both geriatric and psychiatric care will predictably be needed. The provision of high-quality geropsychiatric care relies on both—care settings that are specifically designed to meet the unique care needs of older adults and specially trained health providers. Although the focus of this issue is on the setting, geropsychiatric inpatient units, we can’t lose sight of the fact that creative, innovative, high quality health care ultimately relies on the human work force. No matter what the setting, the knowledge, skills, commitment, and compassion of the interdisciplinary health care team—from day-to-day care providers to top administration—determine whether frail older adults will receive the quality of care they need and deserve. The increasing need for specially trained mental health professionals to care for older adults has been recognized for several decades. The landmark report, Mental Health Care and the Elderly: Shortcomings in Public Policy (U.S. Special Committee on Aging, 1971), emphasized The editors thank the John A. Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence, The Uni- versity of Iowa College of Nursing, for support and assistance in the execution of the survey and preparation of manuscripts in this special edition. The contributions of Julia LaBua, editorial assistant, and Jane Russell, research assistant, were invaluable. Address correspondence to Marianne Smith, 4187 Meade Place SW, Iowa City, IA 52240. E-mail: msmith1@netins.net 5