Book excerpt: This book is the first veterinary textbook dedicated to nursing care plans. It offers a broad overview of the theory and practice of care planning in veterinary nursing, answering three key questions: What are nursing care plans? Why should nursing care plans be used in practice? How should nursing care plans be used in practice? Author Helen Ballantyne provides basic definitions and explanations which will be useful to those unfamiliar with nursing care plans. For those veterinary nurses and technicians who are using nursing care plans, the content stimulates debate and discussion, by covering some of the philosophical and theoretical aspects of nursing and drawing comparisons and contrasts between the veterinary and human nursing roles and contexts. There is a pressing need for veterinary nurses to establish themselves as professionals and develop their unique role within the veterinary care team. Nursing care plans are a core tool to support that development. It is hoped that veterinary nurses may borrow tools from the pages of this book or use it as a resource design their unique care plans: either way, this practical guide will support the application of care planning, no matter the species of the animal kingdom for whom you are caring.