Inspiring children to pursue nursing and midwifery • City, University of London

Debbie Duncan’s recent children’s books are inspiring boys to explore careers in nursing and midwifery, challenging traditional gender stereotypes

By Mr George Wigmore (Senior Communications Officer), Published Thursday, 26^th September 2024

Debbie Duncan, a Senior Lecturer of Primary and Community Nursing at City St George’s, has written two children’s books that aim to encourage young readers to explore careers in healthcare.

Her books, Victor and the Virus and Marcus has the Surprise of His Life, offer engaging stories that challenge traditional stereotypes and introduce young boys to the fields of nursing and midwifery.

Debbie’s inspiration for Victor and the Virus stemmed from her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a prolific writer and a mother of four, she noticed a gap in the way nursing is portrayed to children, and boys in particular. This led her to write a book designed to show that nursing is not just a career for women. The story follows Victor, a young boy who ends up in hospital with a broken arm. His experiences with the healthcare staff inspire him to pursue nursing as a profession.

Reflecting on the book, Debbie Duncan said: “During the COVID pandemic, I wrote and crowdfunded a children’s book that was published in 2022, aimed at children aged 7-11, particularly boys, to encourage them to consider nursing as a profession. It’s been amazing to see the impact this book has had on young readers, opening their eyes to new possibilities.”

The success of Victor and the Virus sparked another project: Marcus has the Surprise of His Life, co-authored by Debbie and focused on midwifery. She wrote the book with Maria who is a senior lecturer in midwifery at Queen’s University, Belfast.

In this story, Marcus, a boy who loves superheroes, has a life-changing encounter with a male midwife while helping his mother. The book challenges gender norms and helps young readers understand that men, too, can thrive in traditionally female-dominated careers like midwifery.

“I’ve had the privilege of discussing Victor and the Virus with a number of senior nurses. We’re hoping it will lead to new connections with the Men in Nursing group, further supporting efforts to diversify the workforce,” Debbie said.

In addition to her work as a Lecturer in Nursing, Debbie has had over 60 articles published in nursing journals and is writing her third textbook. Her career as a writer began with the publication of her first novel, Life Lines, co-authored with Cath Le Feuvre in 2014, and The Art of Daily Resilience in 2017. She is now on her 21^st book.

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