Singing their way to better health.

There's a good reason why I Can Breathe Clearly Now is the signature tune of Edinburgh-based singing group The Cheyne Gang.

Outdoor spaces improve dementia care.

Rachel Potter saw many examples of great practice when she visited residential homes as part of her research into their physical environment. But none sticks in her memory quite as much as the giant rabbits, which were kept as pets at one care home.

Future of nursing in Scotland.

There is much to like in Scotland's Nursing 2030 Vision, but its success will depend on its implementation. As the name suggests, the document, published in July, sets out a strategy for what nursing in Scotland should look like in 2030. It considers what is done well and what should change, and how to deal with future demands, such as the ageing population and workforce.

Remember their names with pride.

When Barbara Hallows watched television footage of the service to mark the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele, something really hit home for her - the value of a name.

First world war: 'The first big test of professional nursing'.

When Helen Fairchild, a young nurse in Pennsylvania, volunteered to take her skills to Europe in the first world war, she was glad to go but felt sorry for her mother. 'If she would only not worry so much', she wrote to her brother Ned.

A vision for nursing in Scotland.

When Scotland's chief nursing officer Fiona McQueen travelled the country to talk to people about what was important for nursing now and in the future, several messages came through.

Making the grade: The English language test dilemma.

Hayley Purcell admits she felt apprehensive about receiving the results of a test designed to ensure she was proficient in English. After months of preparation, at a cost of several hundred pounds, the Australian had achieved a very good result overall, with 7.5 out of a possible nine in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Creating a stronger voice for nursing in Zambia.

Jennifer Munsaka is the first to admit that her organisation didn't always get the most positive reception from government ministers or hospital management. The director of policy, programmes and professional affairs at the Zambia Union of Nurses Organization (ZUNO) was aware it was perceived as fighting for nurses' rights rather than leading on professional matters, such as improving patient safety.

Maintaining standards in difficult times.

'We're in a good place in nursing - we've got high-calibre students emerging, and there's a huge opportunity for nurses to lead change', says Northern Ireland's chief nurse Charlotte McArdle.

Support grows for 'essential' HIV prevention drug.

The HIV prevention treatment PrEP has been hailed a game-changer, with the potential to transform people's lives and save the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds per patient in lifetime costs.

The patient who transformed motor neurone disease care.

In March 2015, Nursing Standard published a feature about a remarkable young man called Gordon Aikman. He had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) the previous year, aged 29, while working as director of research for the Better Together campaign, ahead of the Scottish independence referendum. The Scot, pictured, knew the prognosis wasn't good, and was determined to make the most of the time he had left.

TB: not just a disease of the past.

According to TB nurse manager Margaret Ogedengbe, getting the message across that tuberculosis (TB) is still a real and present danger in the UK is tough, because many people simply don't believe it.

'Telehealth is patient empowerment in action'.

As a senior nurse with many years of experience, mostly in general practice, Cathy Gillespie admits to having been a bit sceptical about telehealth at first. Surely the essence of nursing is being face-to-face with your patient, not sitting in an office perhaps many miles away? And how would patients - many of them elderly and vulnerable - cope with the demands of new technology? 'I just didn't really see how it could work. I didn't learn that until I came into the job,' she says.

What the student saw: sharing placement experiences to improve practice.

When nursing students go on clinical placement they see patient safety practice in action - good and bad.

Online bereavement support.

How much difference can a virtual cup of tea make? A surprising amount, says Elise Hoadley.

Morecambe Bay: From special measures to outstanding care.

Just under three years ago, the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust was under significant pressure. Still reeling from a scandal involving the deaths of 11 babies and a mother at one of its hospitals, the trust had been placed into special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in June 2014. It's fair to say that its reputation was not good.

Cancer drug decision: 'NICE should take more account of quality of life'.

Samantha Heath's message to politicians and policymakers is that she is not dying from cancer, she is living with it. Diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2014, she was still on treatment the following year when a scan revealed a tumour in the liver.

Digital tool for better diabetes care.

In the 14 years Nicola Milne has been a practice nurse, she has seen the number of people with diabetes at her practice increase from 400 to 700, while the overall list size has remained the same.

'The transition to palliative care is profoundly emotional'.

In the past 20 years or so, the outlook for children diagnosed with cancer has changed dramatically. New treatments have transformed outcomes and the prognosis is generally positive, particularly for the most common childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. But that is not true for everyone; some children with cancer will die.

A preventable disaster.

When Ruth Miller looks at the latest figures on diabetes-related foot amputations, she admits that her heart sinks a little. As Poole NHS Foundation Trust's lead diabetes nurse, she knows the devastation the disease can wreak on people's feet. Yet this message does not seem to be getting through.

'I worried my stammer would be a barrier'.

From the age of five Bethany Watson was sure she wanted to be a nurse, but she always feared her stammer would get in the way.

Push to promote profile of cancer nurses in Europe.

It should be easy to make a case for specialist cancer nursing whichever European country you happen to be in. Internationally, a host of studies have made it clear that highly trained nurses have a positive impact on outcomes and on patient experience.

The truth about race discrimination in the NHS.

When NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens launched the first report of the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) in June, he described the findings as 'unvarnished feedback' to every hospital and trust about the experiences of their black and minority ethnic staff.

After Brexit: nursing a divided UK.

Back in September 2014, the people of Scotland voted by 55% to 45% to stay part of the UK. Billed as a once in a generation event, the referendum appeared to put paid to the idea of an independent Scotland for the foreseeable future.

Celebrating the nursing degree pioneers.

In 1961, teenager Sandra McSwein knew what she wanted to do with her life. Coming from a medical family, she was sure that nursing was for her.