A recipe for nursing

As part of a written assignment, Laura Carragher, mental health nursing student at the University of Chester and member of the NHS England North West Nursing and Midwifery Student Council, wrote a recipe for nursing which explores and discusses themes of being a mental health nurse in the 21st century. You can access the recipe at the bottom of the page and read Laura’s write up about her work below.

As part of a written assignment, I was required to explore and discuss themes of being a mental health nurse in the 21st Century for a creative, reflective portfolio. I could include mediums such as photography, poems, drawings, music, and videos. Some of the themes that I covered were the history and image of nursing, which included evaluating the modernisation of nursing, gender stereotypes,  and educational reforms. Moreover, compassion and its relevance in nursing were critically analysed alongside the importance of nursing leadership.

I created a recipe for becoming a nurse because so many components or ‘ingredients’ are involved in the process. These included attributes or qualities a person would want to possess to be a successful nurse, such as compassion, courage and resilience. I took inspiration from the 6 Cs, NHS Constitution values and the Nursing and Midwifery’s Standards for Competence for registered nurses as they depict what is desired from healthcare professionals. The ingredients required to be a nurse are what I imagine are the core components of a cake, such as sugar, butter, egg and flour. They are non-negotiable, and they set the foundations for the future.

The topping section indicates qualities that would make a nurse stand out as someone who goes above and beyond. I struggled with my decision to put leadership in this section as I understand that all nurses must be able to lead to be competent. However, it is often something that not everyone envisions themselves as able to do. By placing it there, I thought it was something people could aspire to improve upon, as I know it is a quality I hope to develop over time.

Through the recipe, I could reflect on my experience and what I thought had aided me in becoming a pre-registration nurse. These formed part of my equipment list as they were external factors, including university support and practice placement. I also mentioned role models, as my nurse colleagues had inspired me to apply to become a nurse. Throughout my time as a student on clinical placements, I met some more role models who were able to nurture and develop my skills.

I felt that a recipe would be able to demonstrate how there is a general formula or set of requirements to achieve to become a registered nurse. It allowed me to showcase how I understood the pathway to enter a nursing career at the time of completion. Although through meeting various other students and colleagues, I have realised that there are increasing efforts to make a nursing career more accessible, and there isn’t a specific route. I showcased this through the undetermined ‘prep time’ and ‘ready in’ sections. I also highlighted that nursing is a lifelong developmental role with many opportunities for learning, progression and exploration using the ‘cook time’. Through my student nurse experience, I have realised that nursing is a unique venture that will continue to present challenges, rewards and fulfilment. Therefore, the final result is always a work in progress and something I look forward to.

Laura Carragher is a mental health nursing student at the University of Chester and member of the NHSE North West Nursing and Midwifery Student Council.