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Professional Skills for Nurses
Dedication, continued development, and hard work: choosing a career as a nurse is about more than just compassion. However, nurses can't thrive in a fast-paced environment without the ability to manage their wellbeing or the professional skills needed to support effective, patient-centred care.
We’re committed to supporting faculty in preparing future nurses for the realities of practice. From building resilience and cultural awareness to health and safety and reflective practice, on this page you’ll find free chapters from our market-leading textbooks to help student nurses build a fulfilling career in their chosen path.
Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we highlight the essential role nurses play in cancer care – from screening and diagnosis to treatment, recovery, and long-term support. Nurses are at the heart of breast cancer care, providing clinical expertise, emotional support, and patient education.
The free chapters featured on this page offer a broad foundation of professional skills that underpin compassionate, effective nursing practice across all areas of care – including oncology. From wellbeing and resilience to reflective practice, leadership, and health promotion, these resources support nursing students and educators in preparing for the realities of patient-centred care in emotionally demanding settings.
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Promoting wellbeing and resilience
Read chapter: Emotional and mental balance
From Wellbeing and Resilience for Nursing, Health and Social Care Students, first edition, by Annette Chowthi-Williams
Responding to the crucial focus on wellbeing, resilience and personal development for those working in health and social care, this book equips students and practitioners with the necessary tools to support, improve and maintain their wellbeing throughout their studies and into their career.
Read chapter: Creating space for reflection
From Reflective Practice in Nursing, fifth edition, by Philip Esterhuizen
Mapped to the 2018 NMC standards and using examples, scenarios and case studies, the fifth edition of this bestselling book shows students what reflection is, why it is so important and how they can use it to improve nursing practice.
Read chapter: Managing stress
From Understanding Mental Health Practice for Adult Nursing Students, first edition, by Steve Trenoweth
Mapped to the 2018 NMC Standards, this book provides an overview of principles and practices of contemporary mental health nursing care.
Read chapter: Identity and resilience
From Team Working and Professional Practice for Nursing Associates, first edition, by Safina Bibi, Enrika Comley & Joanne Forman
Written specifically for trainee nursing associates, this book helps them develop their professional identity and the necessary skills to be an effective member of a multi-disciplinary team.
Leadership and professional development
Read chapter: Managing conflict
From Leadership in Health Care, fifth edition, by Jill Barr & Lesley Dowding
This much-loved textbook responds to the ever-growing importance of leadership to a healthcare professional's role. It shows how the key theories, information and research in leadership apply to health care.
Read chapter: Transition from newly qualified registrant to frontline manager
From Leading and Managing Healthcare, first edition, Neil Gopee
A complete introduction to leadership and management for newly emerging healthcare professionals embarking on the first steps of their career development journey.
Read chapter: Being a professional
From Accountability and Professionalism in Nursing and Healthcare, first edition, by Marc Cornock
Through a unique question-and-answer format, this book covers the what, why, where and how in legal and ethical issues related to nursing and healthcare.
Quality improvement and nursing practice
Read chapter: Supporting the Human System of Work
From Improving Quality in Healthcare, first edition, by Murray Anderson-Wallace & Nick Downham
This book provides a critical analysis, shaping how readers apply quality insurance tools and encouraging deeper thinking about what's needed for effective change.
Read chapter: What is quality improvement and why is it important?
From Quality Improvement in Nursing, first edition, by Gillian Janes & Catherine Delves-Yates
Mapped to the 2018 NMC standards, this book explores the principles and theory behind quality improvement, alongside the practical skills and tools students need to enable it in nursing practice.
Decision-making and learning in practice
Read chapter: Principles of decision-making
From Understanding Decision-Making in Nursing Practice, first edition, by Karen Holland & Debbie Roberts
A clear introduction to effective decision-making in nursing, providing an overview of the theory, knowledge, models and frameworks that can help nurses make better decisions.
Read chapter: Theorising in practice through workplace recontextualisation
From Theorising in Everyday Nursing Practice, first edition, Helen Allan & Karen Evans
A critical analysis of nursing theory and learning, focusing on how theory manifests in day-to-day practice and contributes to continued professional development.
Different aspects of health
Read chapter: The future of health promotion and health education
From Health Promotion and Health Education in Nursing, first edition, by Ruth Cross
This book takes a global approach to health education, with real-life examples across the lifespan and different settings.
Read chapter: Diversity and cultural concepts of health
From Diversity and Cultural Awareness in Nursing Practice, second edition, by Beverley Brathwaite
Mapped to the 2018 NMC Standards, this book explores core nursing knowledge, skills and attributes through the lens of diversity, from assessment and care planning to effective communication and person-centred care.
Read chapter: Health and safety
From Law and Professional Issues in Nursing, sixth edition, by Richard Griffith & Cassam Tengnah
Mapped to the 2018 NMC Standards, this book provides a crash course in law and associated professional issues, using case studies and activities to demystify complex legal concepts and jargon.
Essential knowledge
Read chapter: The Human Microbiome and Health
From Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology for Nursing Practice, third edition, by Neal Cook and Andrea Shepherd
Read chapter: Hygiene and skin integrity
From Essential Clinical Skills in Nursing, first edition, edited by Deborah Rowberry, Lee Gauntlett and Libor Hurt
Read chapter: Disorders of Immunity and Defence
From Essentials of Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice, second edition, by Neal Cook, Andrea Shepherd, Stephanie Dunleavy, and Claire McCauley
Offer student nurses 30% off textbooks, plus free UK delivery, when buying from Sage.