Anecdotally, when I chat with other nurses and they talk about how long they’ve been in the profession, there’s a familiar pattern; “I’ve been qualified for x years”.
We tend to count from the day we got our registration as the official start of our career. But I’ve begun to wonder if we’re counting from the wrong date.
“Some of the hardest lessons and biggest growth happen in those early years”
Student nurses often say things like “when I become a nurse”, even when they’ve just come off a 12-hour shift providing support, thinking critically and handling complex situations on placement.
They’re managing patient care, navigating placement routines, keeping up with documentation all often under pressure and with limited authority.
Plus, at the same time they’re expected to reflect, meet academic deadlines and absorb feedback – sometimes from staff who can forget what it’s like to be in their shoes.
That phrase “when I become a nurse” has stuck with me. Because what were you before then? We don’t give enough credit to the learning that happens as a student nurse.
Not just clinically, but emotionally, developmentally and personally. That knowledge, those experiences – they count. They shape the kind of nurse someone becomes long before the NMC sends that confirmation email.
We also forget how many roles student nurses are performing at once. They’re learners, team members, support systems for their peers, sometimes carers at home, sometimes parents – often navigating a lot with very little. It’s hard work. It is nursing.
Some student nurses have reported that at times they are treated as if they’re not quite “real” yet – as if their contributions don’t hold the same weight.
But that’s a misunderstanding as they’re not passive observers. They’re active participants in care, often bringing fresh insight and impetus into teams.
By only counting from the point of registration, we risk sending a message, even unintentionally, that those formative years don’t matter, that they were just a prelude.
I think that does us all a disservice as we should be proud of our whole journey. As a profession, we talk a lot about lifelong learning – and yet we often draw a hard line between student and qualified nurse.
But the truth is, those lines are blurrier than we admit. Some of the hardest lessons and biggest growth happen in those early years, when everything is new and nothing feels certain.
Not just the day we qualified, but the years of placement shifts, the long commutes, the first time we took handover, the awkward but brave moments of speaking up, and the countless quiet acts of care and compassion.
Let’s stop writing those years out of our stories. If you’re a third-year student starting to apply for jobs, I want you to remember this: you’re not just about to become a nurse – you already are one, in the making.
Your story doesn’t start at graduation. It started the first day you stepped onto your university campus and into your first placement, nervous but ready to learn.
You’ve already learned how to advocate for patients, how to be brave when things feel uncertain, how to care under pressure. These aren’t just skills – they’re foundations.
So, take them with you into your first job. You’re not starting from scratch – you’re stepping forward from solid ground. So, count from the original day one.
Sam Humphrey is programme leader, Leicester School of Nursing and Midwifery, De Montfort University
