This month I was writing my column for the Journal of Health Visiting, ready for the December issue. In view of the impending General Election, I chose to discuss the promises about the NHS made by both the Tory and Labour parties. I consulted with one leading practitioner to ask her opinion on what else I should include and she suggested discussing the importance of resilience. As greater number of nurses leave the NHS, I reflected on the reasons why and the need for resilience to help existing staff cope with the challenges ahead.