Once a nurse, always a nurse?

Stereotypes of what defines a nurse act to limit nursing identity and provide a barrier to both career progression into academia and nurse retention in clinical practice. In this critical reflection, I explore how opportunities in clinical practice allowed me to develop my own identity as a nurse academic whilst acknowledging that these opportunities are not available to all potential nurse academics. I question whether 'a nurse will always be a nurse' if we do not provide the opportunities, and the time, for nurses to explore the vast range of roles within the profession. Research is being conducted on a daily basis in clinical practice, however nurses need to be supported by their workplaces to gain the skills and knowledge on how to become productive scholars. Supporting nurses to take this step will level the gradient between nursing and academia, and open the door for the future of successful nurse academia.