A nurse's work is multifaceted, medically complex, technically precise, and physically demanding. But nursing-the act of caring-is also social, emotional, impactful, and personal. Because nursing education programs prioritize the importance of the technical and physical aspects of nursing, that is what they teach. This leaves practicing nurses poorly equipped to understand the science of caring and unprepared for the constant stream of emotional and psychological stressors that come with this profoundly important work. The unintended consequences of this omission include burnout, toxic work environments, and exodus from the profession.


In this highly anticipated and particularly timely third edition of Reflective Practice, authors Sara Horton-Deutsch and Gwen Sherwood invite readers to reflect, recalibrate, reimagine, rethink, and reframe the work of nursing care and their various roles and relationships within it. This book focuses first on the individual, then practice settings, and finally systems and communities while providing supporting theoretical frameworks, practical applications, and opportunities for personal and shared reflection along the way. Reflective Practice guides nurses to emotional and psychological fulfillment in all aspects of care.