Book excerpt: This comprehensive manual discusses the many aspects of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), providing relevant information along with practical guidance. The reader is also directed to additional resources for extra and current information. This book comes at a time when the number of people suffering from the two major forms of IBD, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), is rising around the globe. Despite their huge impact on daily life and health economics, these diseases are not fully understood, and diagnosis and treatment remains a significant challenge. IBD nurses are increasingly recognised as key clinicians within the multidisciplinary team caring for people with IBD. Through experience and specialist knowledge IBD nurses provide timely support, advice, and treatment for people living with this unpredictable condition. IBD nurses are also well placed to liaise with the wider team, developing patient centred services which best fit their local health framework. The combined international expertise and accessible guidance here will equip nurses, or any clinician wanting to increase their competence in IBD management. Thereby this manual aims to contribute to the optimisation of IBD care throughout the world.