My job
Beyond the expected
Joan Pons Laplana’s nursing career has not been linear, which perhaps befits a man who believes in ‘horizontal power’ and challenges hierarchy.

Joan Pons Laplana’s nursing career has not been linear, which perhaps befits a man who believes in ‘horizontal power’ and challenges hierarchy.
Picture credit: Neil O’Connor
The signs were there 20 years ago when, studying for a degree in critical care in Barcelona, his role model was maverick TV paediatrician Doug Ross, from the series ER.
‘I do not like routine – I like to be challenged. I thought A&E was the thing for me. I wanted to be the next George Clooney,’ he says.
Having come to England to work, it was this rebellious spirit that led Joan to a decision that turned his approach to nursing upside down.
‘I liked my job, but I would not say it was my passion. Patients weren’t my focus. I was more interested
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