An extraordinary life.

Before she sat down to write her autobiography, Elizabeth Anionwu interviewed 30 friends and relatives. There were details she couldn't remember, gaps she needed to fill. But she also did it because she was determined that this would not be an 'I, I, I' memoir; she wanted other people's perspectives.

'Revalidation is not rocket science'.

The new code of conduct takes effect at the end of this month. The Code's standards underpin revalidation, the new system for nurses and midwives due to be introduced at the end of this year. In this interview, NMC chief executive Jackie Smith says revalidation will be a straightforward and positive experience for registrants who are 'organised' and who do not delay their preparation.

Defence nursing: a force for good care.

Director of army nursing services David Bates has a leading role in defence nursing policy, training, education and research. He ensures defence nurses meet NMC standards while delivering care in demanding, often hostile environments. Col Bates believes that the NHS has much to learn from defence nursing in terms of leadership and valuing staff.But the future, he says, will involve increasing partnership between defence and civilian nurses, so he will also be looking for lessons from the NHS, private and third sectors.

Care knew no sides during the troubles.

The patient was a member of the security forces who had been brought in with injuries to his head, abdomen and legs.

Nursing a nation back to health.

England's top nurse for public health Viv Bennett discusses new opportunities for nurses and the benefits of moving responsibility for services to local government. Nurses' contribution to public health has been overlooked for too long, she says.

Never enough staff to care.

Low staffing levels risk creating a culture of 'accepted indignity' in nursing homes. Despite the fact that staffing levels are often so low that nursing staff can barely provide essential care, minimum staff-to-patient ratios remain controversial. This article considers the case for ratios and invites readers' responses.

Shared experience.

An innovative parenting programme in Luton is supporting vulnerable families by helping mothers to interact positively with their children and recognise the past experiences that have influenced their parenting styles. Nurses who facilitate the programme's group sessions are required to share personal experiences with the other participants and reflect on their own parenting.

A humbling experience.

In February 2009, retired nurse Sir Stephen Moss was appointed as a non-executive board director at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which was under investigation for poor care. Two weeks later a damning Healthcare Commission report revealed the full extent of Stafford Hospital's failings. Sir Stephen went on to chair the trust's board until January. He describes what the hospital was like and how it has changed, how he tackled the challenge, and how the experience affected him

A triumphant debut.

Nurse Christie Watson won the prestigious Costa first novel award for her book Tiny Sunbirds Far Away last month. In it she tells the story of a 12-year-old girl in Nigeria who trains to be a traditional midwife. Here, Ms Watson explains that nursing and writing are complementary careers, as both require resilience, hard work and an understanding of humanity.

Passionate leadership.

Neslyn Watson-Druée argues that successive governments' obsession with structural change has distracted from the need to engage with people. Nurses see the whole patient journey and they can bring this unique perspective to the new commissioning arrangements.

Take it from the top.

As NHS chief executive, Nigel Crisp played a key role in implementing the Labour government's ten-year plan to modernise an ailing health service. In his new book Lord Crisp argues that strong political leadership, engagement with clinical and managerial leaders, and relentless attention to detail are essential to successful reform.

Taking stroke care to a new level.

A new report from the Stroke Association shows how nurses, doctors, paramedics and other members of the multidisciplinary team have worked together at a local level to transform the care provided to people affected by stroke.

New competencies for end-of-life care will help to get the basics right.

'WHEN I tell people what I do, it can be a real conversation stopper,' says Claire Henry, national director for the End of Life Care Programme. Ms Henry, a nurse herself, says that even nurses who are regularly involved in the care of dying people can be 'frightened' of talking about dying with patients, and many view themselves as unskilled in this area.