Confessions of a Male Nurse (23 page)

Where am I now?

My latest adventure is not too far from London. I managed to convince a ski company in the Alps that they needed me as a nurse and ski instructor. After which, I moved on to a job as a school nurse at an elite boarding school in Switzerland, where I remain.

I never dreamt that one day I’d be a school nurse. In fact, I once looked down on school nurses as not being real nurses. But here I am wiping sniffly noses, giving out emergency contraceptives, and trying my best to help the children whose parents entrusted their kids to me.

Clinically, it’s not the most demanding of jobs, but ethically, it’s the biggest challenge I’ve faced so far.

I stay in the job because of my family. London is a great place to live when you’re young and have no commitments, but with a young family to support, this job provides all I need. The hours are good, the holidays better, the pay is adequate, and although this is not New Zealand, it’s still pretty darn nice.

Life might not have turned out how I expected, but I’m content, although I do feel that the kids of the rich and famous also have a few stories that need telling . . .

Acknowledgements

How do you thank the people who have made you who you are? Every nurse, doctor or patient that I can remember has left an impression on me that has affected my view of the world, of illness, of right and wrong. I guess one way in which I can say thank you is to keep on nursing, and keep on caring.

On a more pragmatic note, there are some people very close to me that I would like to thank. I do not have the words to express how grateful I am to my family, who have kept me going, and kept believing in me. A special thank-you also goes out to my brother whose idea it was to start writing.

Nothing would have been possible without the support and patience of my wife. She kept me sane and kept the kids busy.

I’d also like to thank certain people at the Royal College of Nurses who helped attract the attention of a prominent publisher, as well as certain people at New Zealand’s premier nursing magazine,
Kai Tiaki
.

There are countless more people to thank.

Thank you, everyone.

About the Author

MICHAEL ALEXANDER
is the pseudonym of a nurse who has previously worked in the UK and New Zealand.

The Friday Project

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This edition published by The Friday Project in 2012

Text copyright © Michael Alexander

Michael Alexander asserts the moral right to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work.

ISBN: 978-0-00-746954-3

EPub Edition © June 2012 ISBN: 9780007467044

Epub Version 1

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