Next week, Nursing Standard, Smith and Nephew Medical and the Royal College of Nursing launch a major series on communication and collaboration between nurse managers and clinical practitioners. The series will provide fascinating examples of how these two branches of the profession, long considered to be ‘incompatible’, can combine to facilitate better patient care. Each article will set two questions which readers will be invited to answer at the end of the series, and this, combined with a special essay competition, will give you the chance to win one of twelve places on a prestigious residential management course at Sundridge Park. Kent, completely free. At a time when the NHS is going through enormous organisational change, and nurses have never been more aware of the need to keep their professional knowledge up to date, this series is a must for all nurses. Special advisor to the series. Maureen Lahiff, sets out what it aims to achieve.