Quality patient care relies on the demonstration of competencies by nurses at all stages of their education and developing career. This exciting textbook is designed to help student nurses better understand the competencies set out by the NMC and equip them to achieve and demonstrate competency as they prepare to qualify as a nurse. The book is divided into sections that address the four domains of competency: Professional Values Communication and interpersonal skills Nursing practice and decision making Leadership, management and team working Suitable for all student nurses on pre-registration degree programmes in nursing across the UK, the book includes examples and insights from the fields of adult, child, mental health and learning disability that reflect a range of clinical and community settings. Amongst other topics this book covers: Communication skills Working with patients and their families Solving problems in practice Clinical decision making Working in interprofessional teams Written by experts, each chapter challenges you to reflect on your own values and beliefs, giving you opportunities to learn and reflect on your nursing skills and knowledge. The chapters include reflective activities, portfolio activities, case studies & vignettes, key points and further resources. An essential purchase for all student nurses. Contributors: Mary Addo, Heather Bain, Debbie Banks, Mary Jane Baker, Owen Barr, Pauline Black, Jackie Bridges, Alison Brown, Jean Cowie, Debbie Good, Ruth Taylor, Kate Goodhand, Chris McLean, Yvonne Middlewick, Avril Milne, Eloise Monger, Delia Pogson, Mark Rawlinson, Beth Sepion, Steve Smith, Cathy Sullivan, Kay Townsend, Alison Trenery. "What we have in this textbook is a user friendly but rigorous presentation of the main competencies for professional nursing practice. Its easy style and 'readability' is one of its most pleasing features and the case studies, information boxes and key learning points give structure to the book as well as helping to engage readers. I recommend with enthusiasm this book to would-be readers. It is a solid and significant contribution to the on-going development of best nursing practice. It should be on the recommended reading list of any nurse who plans, delivers and evaluates patient care." Professor Hugh P. McKenna CBE, Pro Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation, University of Ulster. "To date, I would consider this the 'must-have' book on achieving competence for any nursing student in all four countries of the United Kingdom." Melanie Jasper, Professor of Nursing and Head of the College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University, UK

This book will offer examples to nursing students to enable a creative and innovative understanding of how the competencies may be demonstrated in the many contexts where practice occurs with individuals, groups or possibly communities.

How do we learn from service user perspectives? What practical skills and approaches are needed to make care truly person-centred? Written by practitioners, academics and, more importantly, the people who use health services, this unique text examines the application of person-centred principles across a range of healthcare contexts. It will provide you with the essential skills, techniques and strategies needed to deliver person-centred care. Patient and service users should be at the heart of healthcare delivery, and this book will equip nurses and midwives by connecting the reader to the lived experience of those receiving healthcare. It examines issues across the lifespan and reveals how person-centred care can best be achieved by working in partnership. After introducing key principles and service design in chapters 1 and 2, each chapter that follows tackles a different age or disease specific area of care, including: • Maternity care • Family care including health visiting • Adolescent care • Adult critical care • Diseases including diabetes and arthritis • Care for people with long term mental health problems • Intellectual disabilities • Care of carers Putting people at the heart of healthcare is essential to effective practice, and this book interweaves real patient stories into every chapter, bringing nursing and midwifery theory to life and helping students and practitioners hone and develop their skills. An essential buy for all nurses and midwives. “This book offers an innovative, creative and fresh approach to understanding the heart of patient centred care. It is a must read for students, health care professionals and academics – an excellent addition to the knowledge base.” Brian J Webster-Henderson, Professor of Nursing and University Dean of Learning and Teaching, Edinburgh Napier University, UK “Evident throughout the book is the collaboration of its contributors, providing a real sense of compassion in care. The service users’ ‘voice’ positively speaks to the reader and together with other contributors inspires a practice of care and compassion, professionally as well as personally.” Tracey Harding, Lecturer and Programme Lead, Doctorate in Clinical Practice, University of Southampton, UK “This excellent book offers a number of things to the reader: the theory for person-centred care; a structured approach to the development of that knowledge across the lifespan; and, most importantly, people’s experiences – these jump off the page bringing life to the theory. The book is steeped in the realities of practice and helps to make sense of the challenges – and opportunities – that exist in healthcare practice as person-centred care continues to go to the heart of practice.” Ruth Taylor, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Anglia Ruskin University, UK

This book is an easy to read, practical guide that will show you what reflection is and how you can do it successfully. Assuming no prior knowledge, it introduces you to ten essential ingredients to becoming an effective reflective practitioner. Chapters will equip you with evidence-based understanding and ideas for application to your own situation, and support you to become an emotionally resilient, self-aware individual who can reflect and improve on your practice. In clear and supportive language, Nicola Clarke will guide you on your journey to developing the crucial reflection skills you need for your career as a nurse. The book includes: • A step by step exploration of what reflection involves • Ways to develop the skills you will need to do your own reflection • A ‘how-to’ approach to using reflective models • Practical and jargon-free guidance on how to reflect • A chapter on reflective writing • Chapters about qualities you will need in your reflection, such as being person-centred and empathetic The Student Nurse’s Guide to Successful Reflection is a must-have text for all nursing students as well as useful reading for those involved in supporting them. With a Foreword by Theo Stickley, Associate Professor, University of Nottingham, UK. “Reflection is a ‘way of being’ encompassing many ingredients. Clarke, with great thoroughness and care, introduces these, constructively supporting students towards developing self-insight and understanding of others. Her advice, explanations, illustrations and exercises are lucid and paced, helping nurses towards sufficient strength to undertake the developmental change which effective reflective practice brings. And to become practitioners who are far more than competent: nurses who are calmly self-aware, receptive and perceptive.” Gillie Bolton, PhD, former Senior Research Fellow, Medicine and the Arts, King’s College London, UK "Reflection is a much discussed topic in nursing, but some students find it difficult to reflect on their own practice. Nicola Clarke’s ten essential ingredients provide a clear and explicit guide to effective reflective practice and as such this should be a key text for all student nurses. The chapters of this new text offer clear learning outcomes, practical advice and models to follow in order to develop a genuine, honest and balanced reflective writing style. It is an engaging and informative read which promotes understanding of this important process." Anita Savage Grainge, RMN, RGN, RNT, Senior Lecturer, University of York, UK “An engaging book, which deals with the complexity of reflection in a clear, logical and in-depth manner. Developed around her extended definition of reflective practice, Clarke clearly and logically enables the reader to build their understanding of reflective practice by focusing on her ten ingredients. The structure of the book, focusing on two ingredients in each chapter, allows Clarke to provide clarity whilst at the same time showing the reader how the ingredients fit together to build a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. The focus on critical and analytic skills as well as person-centredness based on Rogers’ core conditions provides a strong theoretical basis for students to understand reflective practice. The use of questions and examples throughout are engaging and will be useful for students and tutors alike. I think this book will be excellent for all healthcare workers – students and qualified alike. Whilst it is aimed at nurses, the principles apply across healthcare. I think it is a real gem and certainly the best book I have read about reflective practice.” Dr Rosie Stenhouse, Nursing Studies, University of Edinburgh, UK “Readers, I anticipate, will find this book informative, challenging and rewarding. It will, however, require focus and concentration to absorb and digest the considerable information the author has gleaned over many years. The book draws on extensive reading, research, teaching and observation of how individuals grow and develop as a result of adopting reflection into their daily lives. Warming to the style and content of the book, I was relieved to find that, unlike some others that approach the same topic, it does not purport to convey the essence and benefits of reflection by utilising inaccessible language, relying on unintelligible descriptions and conflating disparate models to a point where students are left bewildered and at a loss to know how to start their reflective practice. Much of the appeal of this book is that it is clearly written, logically presented and readily accessible, avoiding the jargon that sometimes characterises narratives about reflection. The reader will be impressed by the thoughtful layout which is designed to show that the acquisition of knowledge is not reducible to a set of simple tasks. It is the result of being able to manage the process of deepening one’s understanding of reflection, internalising its values and cognitive practices and applying its behavioural components to the various forms of engagement that nurses enter into in the course of their work. Acquiring self-knowledge is not a one-off activity, but a life-long incremental process. Three voices permeate the text – that of students, theorists and the author - each providing different perspectives which are skilfully integrated. The text could be used by students working alone or in groups, or it could provide thematic material running across several modules. While informative, it is not prescriptive. Students are encouraged to undertake exercises which are designed to deepen their understanding of and internalise what they have learned whilst constantly analysing what reflection means to them and how they elect to put it into practice. I was especially pleased to see the importance of emotions in the learning process recognised and how Socratic learning methods can become part of the behavioural repertoire of the student. A subtext in the book relates to inclining students to assume responsibility for their own learning which requires them to realise what it is that has to be achieved and recognise when it has been attained. I was impressed by this book and the conversational tone of the narrative. It recognises that the learning mind is vulnerable and that inducting students into exploring what it is to be human is one of the highest forms of care. I imagine that important reasons for writing this book at this time are the ever-expanding content of curricula, the excessive demands on lecturing staff, and the relentless pressure in clinical settings which mean that many staff do not have the time to stand back, take stock and review where they have got to. I believe Nicola Clarke has made a significant contribution to nursing literature in highlighting an aspect of learning that can only become more important as further changes take place in health care provision. This text would be high on my reading list were I to start my nurse training over again.” Peter Nolan, Professor of Mental Health Nursing (Emeritus) “Reflection is often a misunderstood concept for nursing staff. This book demystifies what is essentially a complex subject and makes it accessible in an easy to read format. Nicola Clarke’s passion for reflection shines throughout this book. As you progress there are a number of exercises and action points which allow you to experience the reflection process in your own learning. This is supplemented with case studies which bring the learning to life. Each chapter also benefits from a succinct end of chapter summary to reinforce your understanding. I would like to commend the author as this is a well-timed addition to the body of knowledge for mental health nursing students and is relevant now as it will be in the future. I would recommend this book to all nurses and I will be referring my students to this book as an essential text on their journey to discover their reflective voice.” Manyara N Mushore, Course Director, BSc Mental Health Nursing, London South Bank University, UK

This book on ethics for nurses will guide students and nurses through the process of recognizing ethical dilemmas in nursing practice, and better prepare them to nurse in an ethical way.

Are you prepared for revalidation? All nurses and midwives in the UK are required to complete the revalidation process every 3 years in order to renew their registration. This book explores key areas of revalidation such as adult learning and CPD, personal reflection and growth, and improving practice by obtaining and learning from practice-related feedback. This handy guide contains a wealth of tips and advice for all nurses and midwives to help to make the process more understandable and manageable. Key features: • Practical suggestions and examples for engaging in relevant continuing professional development (CPD) • Introduces methods to help complete the reflective accounts • Provides support to prepare for the reflective discussion and confirmation process • Features 'Time Out' boxes and activities throughout that can be used for reflection on practice and support personal development • Practical ideas for portfolio development Essential reading for all NMC registrants, regardless of practice setting, as well as student nurses and midwives who will need to undergo revalidation throughout their careers. Employers will also find this book helpful when supporting staff with revalidation. "I found this book very easy to read. It shows clearly how to incorporate revalidation into our practice and make it as stress-free as possible!" Myrna Melville, Registered Nurse, UK "The book is structured in an accessible way and is designed to really assist registrants through the revalidation process. I particularly like the frequent activities built in as the reader progresses through the chapters." Professor Ian Murray, Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery, Robert Gordon University, UK "This book is a first of its kind and as the title suggest it’s a journey where the authors walks with the readers step by step to a successful revalidation destination. The authors are evidently well vast with this subject matter and had produced a book that is beautifully laid out, easy to read without being patronizing." Esther Kuria

Becoming a nurse is a life-changing process and making the decision to study nursing at university is the first step. This short guide will help you decide whether it is the right move for you, give you an idea of which field of nursing might suit you best and provide useful tips for making a successful application. Outlining the academic and clinical support that students can expect during their study, the stresses that they may face, how placements work and the role of the NMC for student nurses, this book includes a wide range of testimonials from nursing students as well as practising nurses. Most importantly, it shows what is unique about each of the different fields, which include children’s nursing, adult nursing, mental health nursing, learning disability and defence nursing. It also looks at what all of these areas have in common – what makes nursing nursing and what makes nursing special. With a final section looking to the future, with tips for getting your first job and highlighting nursing opportunities around the globe, this is the must-have, no-nonsense career advice book for all those considering nursing as a career option or waiting to start their nursing course or indeed for those nurses who are wishing to return to the nursing profession.