The Call of Nursing: Stories from the Front Lines of Health Care

by William B. Patrick

Written for anyone curious about what it really takes to be a nurse, The Call of Nursing is unlike any other book you may have read about the profession. In it, twenty-three skilled, experienced nurses discuss in their own words how and why they do what they do, and offer a rare glimpse into a profession that hides in plain sight.

A hospice nurse describes a search for ethical practice that led her from Russia to the United States. A nurse corps officer in a traumatic brain injury ward recalls his deployment to Iraq while still in nursing school. An emergency and critical care nurse describes 9/11 as a rookie paramedic. A pediatric nurse describes her unwavering devotion to victims of sexual abuse.

Also included are descriptions of the nontraditional routes each nurse took to achieve her or his educational and professional goals.

The twenty-three portraits in The Call of Nursing help us see more clearly the challenges nurses face and accept on a routine basis, and offer an inspirational look at the reasons nurses often feel called to care and service.

234 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2013

Reviews

[Doreen Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this one!

[Priscilla Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

School Required Reading

I read this for my college senior capstone class. It wasn't the most interesting book because it isn't exactly written as a novel. The author is just pinning the stories that are told to him. Still some of the stories turned out to be memorable and it is so great book to use for my thesis paper on what is a meaningful life.

[Meredith Kazer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a nurse, I am generally skeptical about non-nurses about our profession. However, this book is a highly-accurate and meaningful portrayal of our work. A must-read for nurses and those who love us!

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look into different kinds of nursing.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for adults interested in becoming nurses.

[Beth Withers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a nurse, nor have I ever worked in the medical field, but I enjoyed this book written by nurses who have chosen this career path. I learned so much that I didn't know about the profession, and it opened my eyes to some of the situations that they encounter. I respect nurses tremendously; I have some family members who are in nursing, but my respect for them has grown even greater. This book is written in the voices of nurses themselves, coming from many different aspects of the profession. The personal touch given to each of these reflections makes the chapters that much more poignant and memorable. This is a good book to read not only for those who are nurses, who I assume will find many familiar situations, but also for those of us who stand outside of the profession looking in.

***This book was received free through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.***