Feedback is essential for promoting nurses’ professional development and enhancing the quality of patient care. Effective feedback, in terms of delivery, content and receipt, can support nurses to identify their strengths and areas for improvement, enhance patient care and strengthen teamwork and communication. Despite its importance, however, delivering feedback can be challenging, notably due to concerns about how it will be received. Creating a supportive environment, using a structured framework and fostering self-reflection among staff can support nurse managers to deliver feedback effectively. This article explores the importance of feedback in nursing practice, examines some of the barriers to providing feedback and suggests strategies for delivering effective feedback.