Appreciating Practice in the Caring Professions

Introduction: Mapping the territory - a brief overview of the argument; PART 1: Appreciating artistry: new approaches to professional development and practitioner research; Contextual matters: art and professionalism; Professional artistry: what sense does it make of practice?; Professional practice as art; mirage or vision?; Practitioner as artist: professional development through critical appreciation; New directions in practitioner research: investigating our professional practice as art; PART 2: Recognition and response: the traditions and practices of critical appreciation in the Arts; The language of appreciation 1: seeing and reading; The language of appreciation 2: watching and listening; PART 3: Cultivating an appreciative eye: some practical processes for professional development and research; Appreciation and the development of discernment: recognizing and preparing to capture the artistry in our practice; Practitioner research as artist: working on draft presentations of professional artistry; Portrait of the professional as artist: finding a voice, developing a vision; Deepening our appreciation of the artistry of practice: creating a critical commentary