Accountability is a key concern for nurses and other professionals in the NHS today. Accountability is part of clinical governance and it is important that nurses understand its implications as, in an increasingly litigious society, the ethical and legal implications of accountability are growing.

Accountability is a key concern for nurses and midwives in the NHS today. Professional accountability - being responsible for your actions and for the outcomes of these actions - is part of the framework of clinical governance, which aims to provide good quality, cost-effective, evidence-based care. The second edition of Accountability in Nursing and Midwifery addresses current issues and key concerns in accountability, focusing on accountability in the four main branches of nursing (adult, child, learning disabilities and mental health), as well as in midwifery, community nursing, and nursing management. In an increasingly litigious society, the ethical and legal implications of accountability are growing and it is important that nurses understand the implications for everyday practice.

1. Introduction 2. The Development of Nursing as an Accountable Profession 3. Accountability and Clinical Governance in Nursing: a Critical Overview of the Topic 4. Accountability and Clinical Governance 5. The Legal Accountability of the Nurse 6. Accountability &
Clinical Governance: A Policy Perspective 7. Accountability in NHS Trusts 8. Accountability and Clinical Governance in Nursing: a Manager's Perspective 9. Working with Children: Accountability and Paediatric Nursing 10. Accountability and Clinical Governance in Learning Disability Nursing 11. Where Does the Buck Stop?
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Accountability in Midwifery 12. Accountability in Community Nursing 13. Accounts, Accounting and Accountability in Psychiatric Nursing 14. Accountability in Nursing Research