What is it about?
This article describes my experience during my final nursing placement in the emergency department. It explores what it felt like to move from being a student nurse to becoming a newly qualified nurse, and how working in such a fast-paced environment helped me grow in confidence and skill. share the challenges, learning moments, and teamwork that shaped my journey, showing how this experience confirmed my passion for nursing and prepared me to take on professional responsibility.
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Photo by Jair Lázaro on Unsplash
Why is it important?
This reflection offers a rare, first-hand insight into the emotional and professional experiences of a student nurse in their final placement and the transition from student to newly qualified nurse — an experience shared by every future nurse but seldom captured in writing. At a time when the nursing workforce faces increasing pressure and recruitment challenges, this piece highlights the importance of mentorship, teamwork, and resilience in supporting the next generation of nurses. By sharing an honest and human perspective, it aims to inspire confidence in nursing students and remind practising professionals of the profound impact they have on those learning beside them.
Perspectives
Writing this piece was deeply meaningful to me because it captures a defining moment in my journey from student to nurse. My final placement in the emergency department pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me discover the confidence and resilience I didn’t know I had.
Graham Gibson
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: My final placement: a journey from student to newly qualified nurse, British Journal of Nursing, October 2025, Mark Allen Group,
DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2025.0516.
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