How do students learn to become nurses? What knowledge and understanding do they need to acquire? How do their preconceptions, beliefs about the learning process, and social needs affect their development? What do they find helpful and unhelpful? What makes clinical settings good for learning? Is it helpful for students to document their learning? What are the best ways for lecturer/ practitioners to facilitate student learning and what other factors influence their progress?

The book explores how professional development can be better understood, following the progress of six nurse learners drawn from different parts of nursing and investigating both those difficulties faced by all students and those issues unique to particular students. It places these narratives in the context of nurse education today, exploring the implications of 'Fitness for practice' and 'Making a difference', and looking at the implications for the future development, organisation and funding of nurse education.