About Claire

Claire Westwood at BBC Gloucestershire

Claire at BBC Gloucestershire

Claire Westwood RGN, RSCN, BA (Hons) Health Studies, Dip Life Coaching, NLP practioner, NLP Master Practioner and Director and founder of happynurses.co.uk

 

I created happynurses to help other health care professionals cope with life – to find a job they love that really suits who they are, or to transition out of the health service.

Back in 1996 I had a ward Sister’s post, I’d recently graduated from a part-time a degree course and had bought my first house. But I felt unhappy and unfulfilled.  I’d spent 12 years working as a nurse and studying for my degree, while maintaining a social and family life.  I found the pressures of the job increasing month after month and was heading for burnout when I discovered a book on ‘life coaching’ which changed my life.

I had a feeling that I would never live a ‘real’ life if I stuck with what I had.  So I began to take more control of my life and realised that although I had a good job, my first house and close friends, I had areas of my life that were unfulfilled. I started singing again which opened up a new creative way of life for me. I went on to develop my performing side and sang in a band. I then decided to explore the world and resigned from my role to discover more about what I could do and how life could be different. However, I didn’t know what my ‘real’ life might be, but on one Thursday in October I left the ward where I’d worked for 8 years, and on the Saturday flew to Sydney for the holiday of a lifetime!

I spent some time looking at who I was and what I wanted to experience, and at the age of 34 I trained in performing arts, but realised this was not where my heart lay. I spent time looking for answers and it become clear that that my real passion was for coaching and personal development and so I decided to train as a life coach, which was a realturning point for me.

I qualified as a life coach in 2004 and in NLP at masters level in 2010. I currently speak at nursing events and conferences, run an online coaching programme ‘Find a Job You Love’, appear on BBC Radio Gloucestershire on their panel and write for the Nursing Times, Royal College of Nursing and pro-nurse.co.uk websites and the Nursing Standard journal, as well as other websites.

You can read some of my articles below:

I’ve also published a book called: ‘The happynurses guide to Creating a balanced Life’ so that nurses can coach themselves to a happier, healthier life.

Other Articles about Claire include:

Claire Westood - Come On and Get Happy Feature in NMC