Still a long way to go on patient safety.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, looks at the findings of a parliamentary review into progress on safety proposals and encourages nurses to be part of the culture change.

Do we know where we are heading?

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the issue of long-term workforce planning, focusing on England.

The needs of newly qualified nurses.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the importance of providing the right support to nurses who are new to the register.

A blueprint for the NHS.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the report of the Times Health Commission, which looked at all aspects of the NHS.

Why we all need to speak up.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the Freedom to Speak Up report and its importance in ensuring patient and staff safety.

What do we mean by accountability?

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the concepts and principles of professional accountability.

Practice hours: examining the evidence.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the challenges the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan brings to the question of the number of student practice learning hours.

Defining the scope of advanced practice.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the issue of defining and regulating the scope of advanced nursing practice.

Striking the right balance.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, reflects on the need to consider the impact on the wellbeing of professionals of fitness-to-practise processes.

We need to support those who speak up, for everyone's safety.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, reflects on the need to support those who speak up.

Unpicking disproportionate referrals.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the data indicating over-referrals to fitness-to-practise processes for certain groups.

A global approach to workforce issues.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers how World Health Organization documents can point the way to improving nursing and midwifery education.

Raising the profile of nurse leadership.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, reflects on the findings of a study that examined the attributes required of, and the challenges faced by, nurse directors.

A focus on fitness to practise: reducing inappropriate referrals.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, reflects on progress in reducing the active NMC caseload of fitness to practise referrals.

Updating the standards should not mean moving the goalposts.

Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the question of changes to the standards for nursing education, and what underpins these.

The status of nurses in social care.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers strategies for reforming social care and recognising and rewarding the work of nurses in the sector.

A more international register means we need to support all our nurses.

The annual report on the NMC register shows more overseas-educated nurses than ever are joining, says Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council.