Vital Notes on Accountability is a concise, accessible guide which provides students and newly qualified staff with an understanding of key issues in professional practice.

Nurses are accountable for their own practice and require a thorough understanding of their core responsibilities which underpin everyday practice in the health service today.

This introductory text in the 'Vital Notes for Nurses' series sets out a framework for accountability which consists of four 'pillars' - legal, ethical, employment and professional accountability - against which clinical issues can be considered.