The overall aim of ''Knowledge for Contemporary Nursing Practice'' is to facilitate the exploration and understanding of theoretical and professional issues that have relevance for contemporary nursing practice. Many nurses believe that nursing theory and professional issues are something they only need to know about in order to complete nursing courses and that they have little relevance for their everyday practice. This book challenges this notion and relates how the practice of nursing is not an isolated endeavour, but happens in a socio-political world whose influences are pervasive. It locates the theoretical basis of nursing and explores the professional issues that challenge nurses in contemporary practice. Some of the questions that have been explored include: What has philosophy and knowledge got to do with nursing practice? What is the relationship between theory, research and practice? How do nurses make decisions in clinical practice? What relevance does reflection have for practice? and, What does being accountable mean for practising nurses?Although there are several UK texts that focus on nursing theories and models or professional issues none encompass the relationship between the two areas. Unlike some texts, which merely present these issues theoretically, this book is unique in its focus on their meaning and application to practice.