Julie Watkins has worked for the RCN since 2007 and currently works as an RCN Careers Coach. She has a desire to support people throughout their career. In particular working with individuals to focus on their values and strengths, and how these align with career goals and aspirations.

Having worked as an accountant for 14 years, primarily within local government, Natalie changed career to become a nurse in 2018. Upon completion of her pre-registration training, Natalie worked as a registered nurse in emergency care for cardiology. In January 2023, Natalie left clinical practice to work are a research assistant on a randomised controlled trial to co-design a recovery programme for survivors of spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). She is about to embark on a new journey as a Community Staff nurse where she hopes to combine her love or research in a clinical setting.

Natalie currently sits on the RCNi Editorial Advisory Board, the Scottish Clinical Research Nurses Coordinators Network and has one book due for publication in 2023 which is aimed at nursing students (with another one due in 2024). She is passionate about empowering nursing students to find their voice and develop as individuals.

She is passionate about woman’s heart health and breaking down the barriers they face when it comes to diagnosis and treatment but also recognising the social determinants which make healthy lifestyles challenging for people with long-term conditions. She also keen to promote the importance of developing leadership skills for nurses, particularly nursing students and newly registered nurses.                                         

Alex Dray is a newly registered children’s nurse in London and is working on a surgical ward for neonates up to 18-year-olds. However she will soon be moving to a new trust to be a NICU nurse.

She is interested in all things neonatal and babies.Originally from North Wales but moved to London when she was accepted at LSBU to study nursing. 

You can find her on twitter either on my nurse twitter @AlexDray_RN or on the newly registered nurses twitter page that she curates with some other NRN’s @RCNNRN

Having previously worked in the legal sector, Dan started his nurse training in 2017 graduating in 2020 just as we were starting to deal with Covid 19 and lockdowns. He started working with his current team after graduation as a newly registered nurse and was promoted to his current role in June 2022. He is also co-chair of the RCN Newly Registered Nurses Network and the NHS England early careers decision making council and a visiting lecturer at the University of Chester. 

Caitlin Willis has worked for the RCN since December 2021 as the Learning and Development officer for RCN Scotland, supporting the delivery and development of initiatives and opportunities across the country. Alongside this role, Caitlin also recently joined the nursebank to continue to practice clinically. 

Previous to this Caitlin worked within the NHS in both cardiothoracic and neurosurgical theatres as both a scrub and anaesthetic nurse and was most recently a team lead in cardiothoracic surgery

Chloe has just finished her adult nursing degree at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen Scotland.  She sits on the RCN student committee as a Scottish representative. Sge is very passionate about advocating for neurodivergent nurses and student nurses as she is a neurodivergent nurse herself. She is diagnosed dyslexic, dyspraxic, dyscalculic, ADHD and Autistic. 

Claire Blake (previously Carmichael) is a registered nurse who qualified in January 2020. She has over 15 years’ experience working within healthcare including: sexual health, LGBTQ+ clinics, elderly care, GP Nursing and more. She won several awards whilst studying at university such as inspirational student and a Cavell Trust star award. She is also a nurse vlogger and blogger and passionate about helping other student nurses and healthcare professionals. Upon qualifying she went straight into GP Nursing as a newly qualified nurse, she also does work in a private transgender healthcare clinic and a lecture at a university. 

In her new book “how to make it as a student nurse” she gives tips and advice for all student nurses and nursing associates on how to get through university and beyond.