Increasing demands are being made for individual accountability in all clinical and managerial decision-making and there is growing concern over the lack of provision for professional development that is required in order to meet such demands. Nurses are now expected to explain the purpose of their work and to justify the use of their time: practices hallowed over generations are no longer acceptable, professionally or managerially, without justification.

As a result of this concern, in-service courses such as those for newly appointed sisters/charge nurses and staff nurses have emerged, as have postbasic courses under the direction of the National Boards, This book grew out of the work that had been done with such courses. It is an introductory text which includes such topics as styles of managing nursing work, establishing a ward profile, teaching and learning, quality assurance and staff support; its publication now is particularly timely in view of current intere^st in how nursing is managed, who holds the responsibility and how effective the systems are.