Not the first to back doctor in practice taking direction from sisters (6)
I believe the answer is:
nurses
'direction from sisters' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being plural nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'not the first to back doctor in practice' is the wordplay.
'the first' suggests taking the first letters.
'to back' suggests the final letters (I've seen 'back of' mean this).
'in' is an insertion indicator.
'practice' becomes 'uses' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
The initial letter of 'not' is 'n'.
The final letter of 'doctor' is 'r'.
'r' inserted within 'uses' is 'urses'.
'n'+'urses'='NURSES'
'taking' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for nurses that I've seen before include "They take care of the sick" , "They tend the sick" , "Takes care of the sick" , "Cares for the sick." , "Matrons, midwives etc." .)