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Education for Patients and Clients sets out basic principles for providing patient education as an integral part of nursing care. It challenges the view that simply giving information is enough and investigates strategies for making education as effective as possible. The author explores: *the effect of psychosocial factors such as personal beliefs and family support on our behaviour *the importance of taking such factors into account when planning education for patients and clients *compliance and non-compliance *the role of the nurse as educator *the patient's right to knowledge regarding their health and treatment. Education for Patients and Clients will be essential reading for both pre and post-registration nurses studying health education in all settings.

All patients taking an ordinary hospital diet were consuming less energy and protein per day than was recommended by the dhss. Despite the differences in the ward organisation of nursing work on the team, patient allocation, and primary nursing wards, there were no signifi- cant difference in the dietary intake, or adequacy, og the sampled patients on these wards. Although different patterns of communica- tion were used on the wards investigated, it was found in each case that of the total amount of written nutritional information only a small percentage was accurate and precise. It is advocated that nurs- es must accept greater responsibility for the nutritional care of patients on the ward for which they should be held accountable.