History was made on 15 December when nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland held a nationwide strike in the largest display of industrial action by the profession in NHS history.
Historic but also tragic. More than a decade of below-inflation pay rises have left many struggling financially and negatively affected recruitment and retention, contributing to ongoing workforce shortages and, as a result, heightened risks to patient safety.
The Nursing Times news team visited picket lines in West London, South London, Reading, Liverpool, Nottingham and Cardiff. You can find full coverage in this month's issue of Nursing Times.
In the opinion section, research nurse Emma Heron explains why she supported industrial action and International Council of Nurses chief executive Howard Catton highlights pay and workforce pressures among the challenges facing the profession around the globe.
Chiming with these topics, the clinical section analyses the effects of workload pressures on nursing practice, looking at factors such as shift length, workload and overtime use.
In addition, the clinical section looks at managing patients with alcohol dependency in A&E and we have a two-part series on supporting the families of those with problematic substance use.
There are also articles this month focusing on a preceptorship programme for school nurses and health visitors, assessing head injuries, the physiology of touch and safe blood transfusion after stem cell transplant.