It is intended that the book will be divided into three sections; The nature of nursing knowledge; The nature of nursing practice and The professional practitioner. This design will enable the student to explore the origins of nursing knowledge, examine how this impacts on nursing practice and ultimately how, as professional practitioners they can develop their own practice and influence that of others.The intended audience will be studying at both diploma and degree level, thus the depth of discussion within the text will promote both critical analysis and some degree of evaluation. It is the breadth of the issues covered in the proposed book that will be its strength. Each chapter will commence with a brief overview of its content and intended learning outcomes. It will also be supplemented by areas and activities for study and reflection which can be undertaken alone or in groups. The authors are both nurse educators with the relevant knowledge and expertise in the subject areas. They have worked together for a number of years and have been instrumental in the development and progression of these areas of the curricula from Certificate to Masters LevelActivitiesSummaries