Jill Barr is a Principal Lecturer in the University of Wolverhampton, leading a Community team in a number of awards from pre-registration return to practice, prescribing to Masters Awards in community and public health nursing. Her own professional career has been exciting, varied and totally integrated with personal development including writing with Lesley Dowding for nearly 15 years. Jill qualified as a nurse, midwife and health visitor working in all these areas as well as gaining her nursing license in Michigan, USA. With a breadth of practice experiences in the acute, community and industry the patients, women, families and communities that have been served have been important to this personal development. Lesleys career has encompassed a number of differing experiences since qualification ranging from General Theatres, Midwifery, Gynaecology, Nanny in the USA, Veterinary Assistant, Anaesthetics & Recovery Sister, and as Nurse Tutor within Schools of Nursing and Universities. Lesley teaches a variety of subjects for Pre-Registration Nursing students including management studies and has a passion for effective management techniques, endeavouring to make what might be considered dry theory applicable to clinical practice. To do this Lesley and Jill Barr, have written two books related to management theory and practice in health care Managing in Health Care: a guide for nurses, midwives and health visitors (2002) Pearson Education; and Leadership in Health Care (2008) Sage.