Compassion has become a prominent issue in health policy and practice and the recommendations of the Francis Report and the Berwick Review emphasised the need for compassion in care. This timely and important text book provides a valuable resource for practicing and student nurses which examines compassion in depth, but from a real world perspective. It appreciates and discusses the emotional labour of care and the realities of practice which can make 'caring' and 'having compassion' feel like a difficult and impossible task.

This is an essential guide for those seeking clarity and depth in the analysis of compassion in contemporary nursing. Whether on a pre-qualifying undergraduate degree or an experienced practitioner, this is a must-have book for anyone interested in creating a compassionate health service.

Dr Alistair Hewison is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Nursing at the University of Birmingham, UK. He has undertaken a number of roles including Head of the School of Health Sciences, Head of Nursing and Director of Postgraduate Studies. He has published widely on nursing, management and policy in scholarly journals and book chapters.

Yvonne Sawbridge is Senior Fellow at the Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham, UK. She has enjoyed a wide and varied career across all aspects of the NHS. Before joining the University of Birmingham she was Director of Quality and Nursing in a large PCT involved responsibility for a range of portfolios. She has worked closely with practice based commissioners; local authority partners-particularly in the Children's Trust and Adult and Children's Safeguarding Boards and several providers both statutory and third sector, such as local Hospices. She has also presented at numerous conferences to both clinical and managerial audiences.