Peter Carter

Seacole event so inspirational.

I was at the unveiling of the statue of Mary Seacole.

Voices - Our fight for front line reinforcements continues, says Peter Carter

The seemingly endless schedule of reviews and reports throughout 2013 made it a year of change for the NHS.

Voices - Government action on pay in England beggars belief, says Peter Carter.

The governments decision to reject the recommendation of the independent pay review body and deny a cost of living increase to NHS staff in England is infuriating, ill-advised, and immoral.

Voices - Congress momentum will push RCN's campaign for fair pay, says Peter Carter.

28 july 2 :: vol 28 no 44 :: 2014 NURSING STANDARD I have lost count of the number of nurses I have met like the one I sat with last week. Exhausted and burned out, she was doing her best to make it all okay, be kind and caring, and go the extra mile for her patients even if it meant missing her breaks or going home late. Then the patient complaint came – was it a misunderstanding? Had she got it wrong? The thought that someone had something bad to say about her, justifi ed or otherwise, cut her to the quick. It seemed the world had turned against her – not just the outer world of the patient who had complained, or the boss who had to discipline her, but her inner world as well. Suddenly she was plagued with self-doubt, racked with thoughts that she was ‘wrong’ and ‘bad’ and that she was not ‘good enough’ to be a nurse. Her inner critic – that voice we all hear from time to time, rooted in our upbringing and the forging of the ego – was having a fi eld day. Whatever punishment she felt she was getting from the world around her was nothing compared to the blame and shame she felt inside. And herein lies the paradox. In a job where she is required to show compassion for patients, she was incapable of extending that Silence your inner critic

Fighting our corner: On the eve of this year’s RCN congress, Peter Carter reflects on a tough 12 months and the challenges ahead

So much has changed for nurses since last years congress in Liverpool. Twelve months ago, it would have been hard to imagine that nursing could be faced with more significant challenges.

Voices - Peter Carter says staffing levels are not good enough on older people’s wards

Last months RCN report, Safe Staffing for Older People, exposed just how stretched nursing staff caring for older people really are. In many of the recent media stories criticising the care delivered to older people, commentators have sought to blame individuals, rather than the systems that allow poor care to happen.

VOICES The riots remind us how much nurses do for our country, says Peter Carter

The recent civil disturbances in England were both shocking and deeply unsettling.

Voices - Questions remain over the government’s pension plan, writes Peter Carter

The governments proposals on public sector pensions have left nursing staff justifiably angry. Even though the government came to the table with a new offer just two weeks ago, no satisfactory conclusion to negotiations has yet been found.

Something Sensational to Read in the Train: The Diary of a Lifetime Gyles Brandreth Something Sensational to Read in the Train: The Diary of a Lifetime John Murray ,£10.99: From the mysterious life of Shakespeare to the global financial meltdown, Nursing Standard contributors name their favourite reads of 2010

Imagine keeping a diary every day of your life from the age of ten - the effort and the diligence, not to mention being able to find the time each night to scribble down ones thoughts and experiences. That is precisely what Gyles Brandreth has done and this book is a very abridged form of those memoirs. Spanning the years 1959 to 2000, these diaries represent just 2 per cent of everything he jotted down over the years.

Voices - get behind our frontline first campaign before it is too late, urges peter carter

At congress, the RCN made sure the nursing voice was heard loud and clear. Our annual meeting garnered extensive media coverage, saw the RCN trend on Twitter and ensured that our concerns about cuts and health reform were seen far and wide.