The article shows a research project which discusses the graduation program within mental health field, specially the nursing course. We admit that it is necessary to improve studies concerning to new pedagogical tendencies, aiming to overcome the traditional education model which privileges the knowledge transference as a purpose itself, the little flexibility of curriculums and the professors and students stiff performance, factors that prevent the critical-reflexive development of professionals. Before this problem, we searched on competencies pedagogy, a theoretical support for necessary changes in the sense to improve and update the education-learning process. We suggest a dialogue between practice and assistance education on psychiatric and mental health nursing, on which teachers and nurses may indicate a way to identify and build necessary capacities to enable nurses to act with efficacy in real situations present in mental health.
competencies pedagogy; education-learning process; mental health; nursing