Peer consultation and review.

The newly implemented clinical career structure allows for peer consultation but processes to facilitate sharing of nursing expertise are not yet in place. Here the preceptor or mentor role is compared to the experience of peer consultation in a group context. A review of the literature offers suggestions for establishing peer consultation in the clinical setting and outlines the benefits to be gained. The process of peer review is linked to the concept of peer consultation with examples of how it might be implemented at ward level. Implications for lifelong learning, professional development, professional unity and future research are outlined.