The most common statement in the first tranche of this excellent two-parter on the state of the nursing profession (17 July) was: “It’s hard.” Mothers complained about the lack of time they were able to spend with their children; eager twenty-somethings who could have been out partying lamented the transit from 12-hour placement to small-hours essay crisis. Perhaps “complained” is not quite the right word, for without exception the trainees on display in Jenny Clayton’s whistle-stop tour of the Essex NHS were distinguished by an awareness of the responsibilities that lay before them. “Work has to come first,” one of them rather ruefully conceded. As to the nature of that work, we first found second-year student Charlie in a rapid assessment