When typically round red blood cells intermittently elongate and become lodged in the body’s microcirculation, this can result in painful vaso-occlusive crises, often referred to as ‘sickle cell crises’. The sickling and unsickling process can result in acute pain, chronic anaemia, ischaemic injury and multiple organ damage. One of the main concerns raised by patients with sickle cell disease is the lack of knowledge and understanding of their condition among healthcare professionals in acute care settings. Therefore, this article aims to enhance nurses’ understanding of sickle cell disease and the effective management of painful vaso-occlusive crises. While sickle cell disease was traditionally perceived to only occur in people of black African or African-Caribbean ethnic origin, this article seeks to challenge this belief and reconsider sickle cell as a public health concern for all.