Abstract: This article describes the use of a model that has been developed to assist students in tackling the complex issues surrounding mental health nursing. The Workbook Portfolio has identifiable components that encourage the development of reflective and analytical skills, which allow nurses to practice within an environment that is influenced and determined by a complex, and sometimes contradictory, range of external influences. The article explains the workings of this model so it can be used by educators to for students in the mental health setting.