About me
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Name: |
Rachel Burrows |
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Current role: |
Lead Practice Nurse |
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Work setting: |
GP Practice |
Hi, I’m Rachel, and I work as a Lead Practice Nurse in a busy GP practice in Nottingham. Every day I care for patients of all ages who have lots of different health needs, while also leading and supporting our nursing team. My role includes providing clinical care, helping improve services for patients, supporting student nurses, and working on projects that make healthcare better for both patients and staff. No two days are ever the same, which is one of the things I love most about my job.
My career journey
I didn’t know exactly where nursing would take me when I first started, but I knew I wanted a career where I could make a real difference to people’s lives. I qualified as a registered nurse 11 years ago and came straight into general practice. Back then, this was a very unusual route into practice nursing as most nurses go into hospital work before gaining a role in general practice as most employers wanted a minimum of 5 years nursing experience.
In the time I have been at the practice, I have progressed from a treatment room nursing doing basic care like dressings, injections and patient observations, to becoming the Nursing manager who also leads on all the diabetic care at the surgery alongside my other practice nursing duties like smears, immunisations, trave health and long-term condition management.
I have a real passion for staff wellbeing and childhood immunisations and have recent been involved in some quality improvement projects related to these areas. These experiences showed me that nursing isn’t just about caring for individual patients. It’s also about improving healthcare for whole communities and about looking after your colleagues too.
How I got into this role
To become a practice nurse nowadays, there are often much more options for newly qualified nurses than back when I applied. Some practices offer training posts for newly qualified nurses where you would work and complete a post graduate diploma in practice nursing fundamentals alongside working, usually over the course of a year. This course equips you with you basic practice nursing skills and sets you up for future progression into the more complex elements of practice nursing like long term condition management for example.
One of the great things about nursing as a career is that there isn’t just one pathway. Some nurses enter through university, while others begin as healthcare assistants, nursing associates or apprentices before progressing. There are lots of different routes into a rewarding career in nursing.
What my role involves
As a Lead Practice Nurse, I spend most of my time providing direct patient care and some of my time leading the nursing team.
A typical day might include:
Seeing patients for long-term condition reviews, vaccinations, wound care, smears, blood tests, observations and health promotion.
Discussing abnormal blood test results with patients.
Discussing new medications with patients and prescribing these.
Supporting patients to stay healthy and manage their conditions.
Leading and supporting the nursing team and dealing with queries.
Teaching and mentoring student nurses.
Working with GPs, pharmacists, healthcare assistants and reception teams.
Leading projects to improve patient care and make our practice even better.
General practice nursing is incredibly varied, and every day brings something different.
What I enjoy most
The most rewarding part of my job is knowing I’ve made a positive difference to someone’s health and overall wellbeing.
Sometimes that’s helping a patient feel less anxious, supporting someone to manage a long-term health condition, or encouraging people to take up vaccinations that protect their health.
I also really enjoy helping other nurses and students develop. Watching someone grow in confidence and become an excellent nurse is incredibly rewarding. I love being able to improve services that benefit not just one patient, but hundreds or even thousands of people within our community.
Challenges
Healthcare can be busy and demanding. There are times when the workload is high and difficult decisions need to be made quickly. Working in a busy clinic can also be difficult as patients only have between 10-20 minutes of time with you, and sometimes this is not enough to cover everything you need to truly support the patient.
It can also be emotional, especially when caring for people who are seriously unwell or going through difficult times.
However, you’re never working alone. Nursing is all about teamwork, and colleagues support each other through the challenging days. The difficult moments make the rewarding ones even more meaningful.
Skills you need
Excellent communication skills
Compassion and kindness
Good listening skills
Teamwork
Organisation and good time management
Problem-solving
Resilience
Willingness to keep learning
Leadership and confidence
A genuine desire to help people
My advice
If you’re thinking about a career in health or care, I’d absolutely encourage you to explore it further.
Try to gain some experience by volunteering, speaking to healthcare professionals, or arranging work experience if you can. Don’t worry if you don’t know exactly where your career will end up. There are so many different opportunities within nursing and pathways into nursing that open up lots of options to you along the way.
The best nurses are people who care about others, are willing to keep learning even when they have finished at university, and aren’t afraid to ask questions to help them develop.
Nursing has given me opportunities I never imagined, from leading improvement projects to helping shape the future of primary care. I have even been nominated for a Nursing Times Award recently for my work on staff wellbeing!
It’s a challenging career, but it’s also one of the most rewarding jobs you can do. You have the chance to make a real difference to people’s lives every single day.
Read more 'Day in the life' of primary care workers
We've pulled together all these personal journeys to showcase the diversity of primary care roles and give a hollistic, honest view of the highs and lows that come with the job. We believe primary care is a rewarding career path and our goal is make Nottingham and Nottinghamshire a great place to work, so our workforce can deliver the best possible care.
This case study forms part of our work experience activity. It is perfect for students aged 14 or over (school or college), career changers, or anyone interested in exploring careers in health and social care. If you complete 5 activities you can achieve a gold level certificate. Already downloaded your pack? Read more stories! Want to join this work experience? Click to start!
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