Community nursing: a sense of belonging

Wanting ‘to belong’ somewhere is a strong human instinct and something I have been reflecting on a lot recently. My thoughts have focussed on how many student nurses in the class of 2022 will find this ‘sense of belonging’ in the community-nursing sector. As we start to welcome thousands of students into community practice learning environments over the coming months, I am confident that many will find a kindred spirit. I certainly found mine.

Whilst contemplating this sense of belonging, I have found myself reminiscing about those halcyon days of student nurse training. I was fortunate to have a positive learning experience, where I often met district nurses (DNs) deeply committed to creating effective learning environments. Their transformative leadership skills were apparent and as a faithful follower, I flourished. They continuously strove to create psychologically safe environments in which to learn, thrive and further develop those all-important prerequisites that are crucial to providing authentic person-centred care (McCormack et al, 2021).