Lauren Philpott qualified as a registered children’s nurse in 2014. She initially rotated between a children’s ward and Special Care Baby Unit before resuming a permanent position on a general children’s ward for six years. In 2020 she decided to step into education, and now delivers simulation based education to a variety of healthcare professionals.

• Me and my bookChapter One: First daynervesYour first daysAm I ready?Going it aloneA shaky startOn a positive noteCommon worries answeredChapter Two: TeamworkThe importance of teamworkThe nursing teamFinding your role within the teamLone workingThe multidisciplinary teamCommunicationTeam buildingTeamwork in an emergencyChapter Three:Patient relationshipsTherapeutic relationshipBuilding relationshipsBoundariesA positive relationshipEstablishing a good relationshipWhat if I don’t strike a relationship with a patient?Social mediaChapter Four: DifficultsituationsEmotional difficultiesUncooperative patientsDealing with challenging peoplePoliticsDisagreements with colleaguesBreaking bad newsThe death of a patientWhen mistakes are madeHow to cope with difficult situationsChapter Five: Good daysand bad daysGood daysWhat makes our shifts good?What do you think?Bad daysWhy do bad days happen?How to help yourself have a good daySick patientsHow to recover from a bad dayChapter Six: Progressionand confidencePreceptorship periodConfidenceStudy daysLearning ‘on the job’As your confidence growsCaring for sick patientsBecoming a mentorChapter Seven: Work/lifebalance Work/life balanceWhat is burnout?How to avoid burnoutHobbiesLeaving work at workSaying noTake your breaksTake time to restAnnual leaveLook after yourselfSupporting your colleagues through burnoutChapter Eight:Revalidation, and everything in betweenRevalidationEverything in betweenAcknowledgements

‘Being a Nurse is a great resource for anyone starting out in their nursing careers. It offers sensible down to earth advice, drawing on the author’s real life experience of what it is like to work as a Registered Nurse for the first time. The author tackles some really challenging topics, such as dealing with difficult situations/people, burnout, having a bad day (and importantly how to get over it!) as well as emphasising the many positives that nursing brings. She takes the new graduate through their nursing journey, from the first day on the job, to developing in confidence and how to work towards revalidation, taking a pragmatic, yet very readable approach. This would make a great gift for any soon to graduate or recently qualified nurse.’Liz Williams, Assistant Professor, Year 2 Clinical Skills, University of Nottingham

Lauren Philpott qualified as a registered children’s nurse in 2014. She initially rotated between a children’s ward and Special Care Baby Unit before resuming a permanent position on a general children’s ward for six years. In 2020 she decided to step into education, and now delivers simulation based education to a variety of healthcare professionals.

• Me and my bookChapter One: First daynervesYour first daysAm I ready?Going it aloneA shaky startOn a positive noteCommon worries answeredChapter Two: TeamworkThe importance of teamworkThe nursing teamFinding your role within the teamLone workingThe multidisciplinary teamCommunicationTeam buildingTeamwork in an emergencyChapter Three:Patient relationshipsTherapeutic relationshipBuilding relationshipsBoundariesA positive relationshipEstablishing a good relationshipWhat if I don’t strike a relationship with a patient?Social mediaChapter Four: DifficultsituationsEmotional difficultiesUncooperative patientsDealing with challenging peoplePoliticsDisagreements with colleaguesBreaking bad newsThe death of a patientWhen mistakes are madeHow to cope with difficult situationsChapter Five: Good daysand bad daysGood daysWhat makes our shifts good?What do you think?Bad daysWhy do bad days happen?How to help yourself have a good daySick patientsHow to recover from a bad dayChapter Six: Progressionand confidencePreceptorship periodConfidenceStudy daysLearning ‘on the job’As your confidence growsCaring for sick patientsBecoming a mentorChapter Seven: Work/lifebalance Work/life balanceWhat is burnout?How to avoid burnoutHobbiesLeaving work at workSaying noTake your breaksTake time to restAnnual leaveLook after yourselfSupporting your colleagues through burnoutChapter Eight:Revalidation, and everything in betweenRevalidationEverything in betweenAcknowledgements

‘Being a Nurse is a great resource for anyone starting out in their nursing careers. It offers sensible down to earth advice, drawing on the author’s real life experience of what it is like to work as a Registered Nurse for the first time. The author tackles some really challenging topics, such as dealing with difficult situations/people, burnout, having a bad day (and importantly how to get over it!) as well as emphasising the many positives that nursing brings. She takes the new graduate through their nursing journey, from the first day on the job, to developing in confidence and how to work towards revalidation, taking a pragmatic, yet very readable approach. This would make a great gift for any soon to graduate or recently qualified nurse.’Liz Williams, Assistant Professor, Year 2 Clinical Skills, University of Nottingham

Lauren Philpott qualified as a registered children’s nurse in 2014. She initially rotated between a children’s ward and Special Care Baby Unit before resuming a permanent position on a general children’s ward for six years. In 2020 she decided to step into education, and now delivers simulation based education to a variety of healthcare professionals.

• Me and my bookChapter One: First daynervesYour first daysAm I ready?Going it aloneA shaky startOn a positive noteCommon worries answeredChapter Two: TeamworkThe importance of teamworkThe nursing teamFinding your role within the teamLone workingThe multidisciplinary teamCommunicationTeam buildingTeamwork in an emergencyChapter Three:Patient relationshipsTherapeutic relationshipBuilding relationshipsBoundariesA positive relationshipEstablishing a good relationshipWhat if I don’t strike a relationship with a patient?Social mediaChapter Four: DifficultsituationsEmotional difficultiesUncooperative patientsDealing with challenging peoplePoliticsDisagreements with colleaguesBreaking bad newsThe death of a patientWhen mistakes are madeHow to cope with difficult situationsChapter Five: Good daysand bad daysGood daysWhat makes our shifts good?What do you think?Bad daysWhy do bad days happen?How to help yourself have a good daySick patientsHow to recover from a bad dayChapter Six: Progressionand confidencePreceptorship periodConfidenceStudy daysLearning ‘on the job’As your confidence growsCaring for sick patientsBecoming a mentorChapter Seven: Work/lifebalance Work/life balanceWhat is burnout?How to avoid burnoutHobbiesLeaving work at workSaying noTake your breaksTake time to restAnnual leaveLook after yourselfSupporting your colleagues through burnoutChapter Eight:Revalidation, and everything in betweenRevalidationEverything in betweenAcknowledgements

‘Being a Nurse is a great resource for anyone starting out in their nursing careers. It offers sensible down to earth advice, drawing on the author’s real life experience of what it is like to work as a Registered Nurse for the first time. The author tackles some really challenging topics, such as dealing with difficult situations/people, burnout, having a bad day (and importantly how to get over it!) as well as emphasising the many positives that nursing brings. She takes the new graduate through their nursing journey, from the first day on the job, to developing in confidence and how to work towards revalidation, taking a pragmatic, yet very readable approach. This would make a great gift for any soon to graduate or recently qualified nurse.’Liz Williams, Assistant Professor, Year 2 Clinical Skills, University of Nottingham