Grant Byrne

A man sitting in a home office talking on a phone, while looking at patient notes, as with an occupational health nurse working from home

Work-life balance: what I’ve gained in an occupational health role

It can offer more flexibility than ward or community jobs. Find out what’s involved

Individuals working together as a team

When your course schedule says ‘group work’ and you think ‘hard work’

Ways to cope with conflicting study styles and goals in collaborative learning as a nursing student

man and woman ballroom dance

A truly inspirational placement taught me about compassion and a love for life

I witnessed the kind of dedication I want to emulate in my own nursing career

Toast

Breakfast battle taught me to take the time to care

A patient’s refusal to eat toast that was cut the wrong way changed a nursing student’s ideas

Split screen photograph of nurse being pulled in two different directions

Learn to prioritise and let go of the guilt

Learning to prioritise one person who needs you over another is difficult but necessary

Cartoon showing student in classroom on one side and then as a waiter on the other

Fitting a part-time job around your nursing studies

It can be tricky balancing paid employment against university work, clinical placements and other commitments. Student nurse Grant Byrne offers his top tips

Returning to clinical practice: Support will be there, just do your best

After two years out of training, nursing student Grant Byrne was nervous about going back on the wards. But with support from his mentor and other staff members, his fears turned out to be unfounded

Starting again

Failure is not fatal, so don’t be afraid to try again

Two years ago, nursing student Grant Byrne had to drop out of his course. But his time away from nursing only bolstered his desire to return – and he is now back doing what he loves.

Keep trying

If at first you don’t succeed, keep trying

Failing his final exam was a huge blow for nursing student Grant Byrne, but it made him all the more determined to achieve his goal of becoming a qualified nurse.

A job for the boys

An unintentional double standard exists on our wards. While female patients are usually given the option of a female nurse, men are rarely afforded the same dignity. Despite working with some fantastic nurses, not once did I see a mentor ask if a male patient would prefer to be cared for by a male nurse.

Student life - Homophobia is just poor care by another name

Not that long ago I found myself sitting in a meeting discussing the role of men in nursing.

Welcome to our tough, rewarding profession, we are rooting for you

Nurses deal in empathy, so it is easy to imagine how you are feeling as you start your nursing course. We have all been there.

Don’t patronise me

Why do so many complex issues in the health service get boiled down to crusades that do...

A vote for enlightenment

At this year’s RCN congress in Bournemouth, a resolution is being debated that is close to...