Linda Aiken is undoubtedly the doyenne of contemporary nursing research and one of the most powerful voices in nursing, in that when Linda Aiken's research speaks, the world of healthcare listens. And so it should. Her exemplary international research programme at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania demonstrates clearly that nursing is not simply one of many factors involved in improving health outcomes and patient safety, it is THE KEY FACTOR. Get nursing right and you improve safety, quality and patient care. No ifs, no buts.