1. Foreword -- 2. Career choices: How I came to study nursing -- 3. Mad bad and sad -- 4. First encounters with death -- 5. Poo -- 6. ED or the GP -- 7. Love bites and herpes -- 8. Do you believe in God? -- 9. Trusting your instinct -- 10. Nurses versus Doctors -- 11. Self-harm and suicide attempts -- 12. Noob nurses and epic fails -- 13. Catch my disease -- 14. Colourful clinical handovers & puzzling presentations -- 15. Post-traumatic stress and burnout -- 16. Shit that nurses say -- 17. The blame game -- 18. Being a patient -- 19. Magic medications and broken bones -- 20. Some things are harder to explain -- 21. Working with youngens and complicated families -- 22. Learn to duck and weave -- 23. Would you like to shower with me? -- 24. What you find confronting will surprise you -- 25. Brainstorm -- 26. Tell me your agenda -- 27. Missing -- 28. An introduction to the psychiatric ward -- 29. Caring for diverse populations -- 30. Nursing in faraway places -- 31. Overcoming disabilities -- 32. Nursing suggestions for living well -- 33. Saying thank you -- 34. Visiting hours are now over.