Originally published in 1986, this book examines the nature of management in nursing and discusses the relevance of management education to the job of the nurse. It examines key reports and legislation of the day as they affected the health service in general and nursing in particular. It aims to assist senior nurses in their teaching of management education and to assist first-line nurses in understanding and applying the principles of management to their own practice to improve patient care. Learning objectives are given throughout the book to ensure that the nurse can check their own understanding and apply the theory to real situations.