A study identified and explored the changing educational needs of mental health and learning disability nurses in Britain following the 1990 National Health Service and Community Care Act. A literature review focused on service developments in mental health and learning disability nursing and changes in education. Interviews were conducted with 147 stakeholders at 6 sites. Requirements for skilled practice for mental health and learning disability nurses were identified. These requirements and implications for education were categorized under seven themes: working with others; clinical practice; learning formats; user enablement and empowerment; responding to the market and service priorities; values; and impact of new models of care. For each theme, findings were grouped into those that pertained to both mental health and learning disability nurses, followed by those that emerged for each group separately. Implications for education were as follows: curriculum content that emphasized clinical assessment at the individual, family, and community level; clinical knowledge and supervised practice that enhances self-assessment, self-confidence, and initiative; student exposure to different service delivery models; role development; and managing change. Five models of educational preparation were identified. Two were independent of each other: specialist and generic. The other three were variations of these two: pragmatic, unity-of-nursing, and social care. (Appendixes contain 235 references, site descriptions, instruments, and data.) (YLB)