In Harvard style, the correct reference is: Department of Health. (2012). Compassion in Practice: Nursing, Midwifery and Care Staff – Our Vision and Strategy. London: Department of Health. Use (Department of Health, 2012) for in-text citations throughout your essay.
The 6Cs — Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage and Commitment — form the core values underpinning NHS nursing, midwifery and care practice introduced in the 2012 strategy document.
List the source alphabetically under ‘D’ in your reference list, not under ‘6Cs’. Every time you mention Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage or Commitment individually, the same (Department of Health, 2012) citation applies.
Nursing students often discuss the 6Cs in reflective essays, care-plan rationales and revalidation portfolios. If structuring one of these pieces feels daunting, our nursing essay writing help offers model answers showing how to apply each C with evidence.
Since the 6Cs often anchor a nursing essay’s argument, following clear paragraph structure matters — see our essay structure guide for organising evidence, reflection and Harvard citations within academic writing conventions.


