Celia Diez de los Rios, from the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK, speaks from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2018 Congress, in Munich, Germany, highlighting the three main barriers that she believes, prevent nurses from making the maximum possible impact on their patients and the multidisciplinary team they work with. Ms Diez de los Rios suggests ways to develop nurses and break down the barriers between the multidisciplinary teams, and the importance of efficient communication.