Claire Etches: Teaching Doctors the Paediatric Way

Claire Etches has spent 20 years caring for sick children on Ward 25. Two years ago she did something pretty unusual – she started teaching medical students. Not nursing students. Medical students.

In this conversation, Claire talks about what it's like being the first nurse in her role at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, demystifying paediatrics for terrified students who've never held a baby, and why sometimes the best teacher for a junior doctor is the nurse who's been doing it for two decades. She also discusses imposter syndrome, the power of someone believing in you and why her signature lemon drizzle might need to compete in a medical education bake-off.

This is a story about breaking down artificial barriers, multi-professional learning done right, and what happens when someone taps you on the shoulder and says "you'd be brilliant at this"