Well, it's been a little over three years since we published the first issue of PCNR. Much has changed in nursing and the NHS since then. So as we say goodbye to PCNR in this format, you'll be pleased to know that we will continue to keep you abreast of nursing and health service isssues and clinical developments through our Facebook pages and Twitter feed.

One in three of use will get cancer. Not a good statistic. So we look at ways of preventing it and take advantage of screening where we can.

For we ladies, that means three-yearly mamograms once we get to a certain age. But what if a mammogram isn't good enough? For those with dense breast tissue, tumours are often hidden so go unnoticed until it is too late.

Here, Cheryl Cruwys explains what dense breast tissue is and shares her experience.

You've done it again! Not content with merely trying to deliver a service in the face of swingeing cuts, more patients and less staff, you've been innovating, creating and generally making life easier for your patients.

So in what looks like becoming the annual 'must be there' event, awards were presented to those of you whom your peers had decided were worth a prize!

In issue 13, we presented some of the winners' stories. Here we present the rest.

Social prescribing is really a thing! Initially dismissed as a construct for those patients no-one knew what to do with, the benefits are begining to show.

Whether it's swimming or a language class, simple options can reap amazing health outcomes.

In this article, first published on the Health-Care Arena website (https://healthcare-arena.co.uk) and reproduced with kind permission, Dr Dinah Parhams outlines what it is and how it works.

This article, written by Michael Withers and reproduced with kind permission of HealthCare Arena, explores how working with the AfPP, the concent of 'learning from 'never-events' in the operating theatre was introduced.

As health care professionals, most of us use a little black humour to help us through the tough, horrrific or emotional moments. And we sometimes feel a little guilty about that. So it's reassuring to know that those we care for can also find some humour in their darkest hours.

Given that Mark Pritchard and his wife Sarah had the metaphorical book thrown at them health-wise when Mark had a brain haemorrhage and Sarah developed breast cancer, you'd think that finding a funny side would be akin to finding a Sorbo ring on a pressure ulcer prevention policy, but they did.

A brilliant read!

In previous blogs, shared in PCNR, David has strongly advocated for meaningful patient engagement and his role as a patient Director. Here, he blogs about returing to work after a period of 'pationt-hood'.

The first article Joan wrote for us was about the 6Cs (https://pcnr.co.uk/articles/118/care-is-our-business). We had been in a Twitter discussion about the concept; I was 'fairly outraged' of North London, as I felt that this was fundamental to nursing and should not have to be so baldly stated in a document. Joan however, saw it in a completely different way, so I invited him to pen a piece outlining his view*.

Since then, he has contributed to every issue, and has tirelessly tweeted on our behalf. It's been such a pleasure working with him and seeing how he has progressed to being the Roaring Nurse whom we all love.

*I wasn't expecting him to channel his inner 'vonTrapp family' though!

As it's the last issue, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share my thoughts once more.

With the upcoming General Election, the NHS is on everyone's agenda. And of course, so is the future of nursing...

In Issue 10 we featured some highlights from the 2015 Ig noble Awards for Improbable research. We liked it so much, we decided to do it again!

As the committee says:

The 26th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony will introduce ten new Ig Nobel Prize winners. Each has done something that makes people laugh then think.Winners travel to the ceremony, at their own expense, from around the world to receive their prize from a group of genuine, genuinely bemused Nobel Laureates

Picture Credit: Roman Victory. Thanks to Liam Quin for kind permission to reproduce: http://www.fromoldbooks.org

The NHS is going through what some say is a most diffficult time. That may be putting it mildly!

We may have to learn a lesson or two from the Dakota Indians…

As many variations of these pearls of wisdom are available, I cannot credit this particular version to anyone. But I am eternally grateful for the laughs it produced.