This Wasn't in the Textbooks'

This Wasn't in the Textbooks: Life as a Student Nurse (Second Edition)

By Demie Risby

Think you know what it takes to become a nurse? This book tells the parts no one ever taught.

In this expanded and deeply reflective second edition, This Wasn't in the Textbooks goes beyond survival stories of nursing school to explore what the journey truly takes: emotionally, mentally, and personally.

From relentless night shifts and high-pressure placements to moments of self-doubt, resilience, and quiet triumph, Demie Risby offers an unfiltered account of student nursing as it's really lived. This is the world behind the scrubs: where confidence is hard-won, compassion is tested, and growth happens in unexpected moments: sometimes between ward rounds, sometimes in tears behind closed doors.

Drawing on her unique perspective as a childhood cancer survivor turned paediatric nurse, Demie reflects on how her past shaped her practice, her empathy, and her identity. With greater depth and insight than ever before, she explores the emotional weight of caring for others, the impact of healthcare culture on young professionals, and the unseen lessons that shape a nurse long before qualification day.

Honest, warm, and quietly powerful, this second edition revisits familiar stories with fresh perspective, adds new reflections, and gives space to the moments that stayed long after the shift ended. Whether you're a student nurse, a healthcare professional, or someone drawn to real stories of resilience and purpose, this memoir will reassure you, challenge you, and remind you why nursing matters.

Because nursing isn't just about learning how to care for others: it's about learning who you are in the process.
Perfect for fans of "This is Going to Hurt" and anyone who's ever survived (or is surviving) nursing school.