All nurses are expected to promote patients’ health and this includes physical and psychological wellbeing. In this article the author argues that we already have much of the knowledge necessary to enhance public mental health and that we need to focus more on the factors that promote a state of positive wellbeing rather than on what makes people ill. Nurses work in a variety of services and are in an ideal position to promote patients’ sense of empowerment and resilience by helping them to acknowledge their resources, rather than focusing on their disability or illness.