ABSTRACT
Introduction Record keeping is especially important in healthcare and nursing particularly, and can impact various aspects of our lives. Relating to the notion of record keeping impacting our daily lives, you may recall that on the day of your interview for nurse training you may have been asked to provide evidence of who you are, evidence such as a birth certificate, a driving or marriage certificate or a passport. You may even have been asked to provide original evidence of your academic attainment, for example your GCSE and A Level certificates. If you were, hopefully the process has demonstrated to you that record keeping, including keeping records on those patients/clients you care for as a nurse, is rather important. In healthcare generally, and nursing particularly, effective record keeping is essential for effective nursing care. As we have been focusing on law, ethics and professional code of conduct principles throughout this book, it is important to recognise, too, that these three dimensions of professional practice also have major influence on record keeping. We will see how as the chapter develops.
