Book excerpt: Professional identity is a central topic in all courses of professional training and educators must decide what kind of identity they hope their students will develop, as well as think about how they can recruit for, facilitate and assess this development. This unique book explores professional identity in a group of caring professions, looking at definition, assessment, and teaching and learning. Professional Identity in the Caring Professions includes overviews of professional identity in nursing, medicine, social work, teaching, and lecturing, along with a further chapter on identity in emergent professions in healthcare. Additional chapters look at innovative approaches to selection, competency development, professional values, leadership potential and reflection as a key element in professional and interprofessional identity. The book ends with guidance for curriculum development in professional education and training, and the assessment of professional identity. This international collection is essential reading for those who plan, deliver and evaluate programs of professional training, as well as scholars and advanced students researching identity in the caring professions, including medicine, nursing, allied health, social work and teaching.