Writing for publication is often seen as an arduous, daunting task reserved mainly for those in
academia. This paper represents the first author’s experience over the past 2 years of working
on writing papers for publication in the context of personal and academic development. The
aim is to reflect on the first author’s journey towards publication with the intention of
encouraging nursing staff to make their work visible and validate their practice through
publication. This personal journey was made easier by the encouragement, help and support
of the second author, a university lecturer acting as a mentor, advisor and critical friend. This
paper is also intended to assure and give courage to those who have considered writing about
their practice but are reluctant to do so.