Watching the coverage last month of the 80th anniversary of D-Day led me to delve into the Nursing Times archive to see how we covered this seminal moment in the Second World War.
In so doing, I found out about the first 16 British nurses who arrived in France, the names of whom we have republished so they receive the recognition they deserve among all the brave souls who played a role in the Normandy landings. There is also a picture of them dressed in army fatigues in the back of a truck heading to their post. If you knew them, please contact me.
“Our cover feature is an interview with Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council”
I also had the pleasure of talking to Dan Barton, founder of charity Standing with Giants, which is behind 1,475 silhouettes overlooking Gold Beach, each one representing a life lost on D-Day.
Among them are figures of two women, sisters Mollie Evershed and Dorothy Field. They were on a hospital ship that struck a mine off the French coast on 7 August 1944. As it sank, they helped save the lives of 75 wounded men before losing their own.
Sticking with the historical theme, the Florence Nightingale Foundation is celebrating its 90th anniversary in July. The charity, which is known for supporting nurse development through its scholarships, can trace its roots back to the founder of modern nursing and her work in another conflict, the Crimean War.
Meanwhile, our cover feature is an interview with Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, who is stepping down due to ill health. We asked her about her key achievements and the challenges that remain for her successor at the regulator.
We also have some fantastic clinical practice content this month, including how to conduct a cardiovascular assessment, the role of magnesium in the body, a project to attract students into primary care and preventing drowning in patients with epilepsy.
As we went to press, there were just a few days to go before the general election. Over the past eight months, we have built a manifesto of your views to inform those vying for office how you want them to tackle the challenges in health and social care. A Manifesto by Nurses is now published in full.
Very soon, we will know which party will form government and Nursing Times will be lobbying to make sure your voice is heard.