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Nurse: The True Story Of Mary Benjamin, R.N.
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER-OVER TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD!
A shocking, inspirational bestseller, Nurse is the story of eight weeks in the life of a nurse in a large urban hospital. It is all the joy and pain, the death and drama, the mistakes, successes, and secrets. Nurse reads like a novel, but sticks in the memory like real experience-because it is.
A shocking, inspirational bestseller, Nurse is the story of eight weeks in the life of a nurse in a large urban hospital. It is all the joy and pain, the death and drama, the mistakes, successes, and secrets. Nurse reads like a novel, but sticks in the memory like real experience-because it is.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1978
20 people are currently reading
763 people want to read
About the author
Peggy Anderson
64 books6 followersPeggy Anderson (July 14, 1938 – January 17, 2016) was an American author and journalist, best known for her 1979 work Nurse, which profiled the work of a nurse and sold millions of copies.
Anderson was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1938, to Catherine Anderson, a nurse, and her husband Wilbert Anderson. She graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, and then joined the Peace Corps. While with the Peace Corps, she taught English for two years in the early 1960s in Togo. After her time in the Peace Corps, she worked as a reporter at The Washington Monthly
and The Philadelphia Inquirer (from 1969-1973).
She wrote three well-known books: The Daughters (1972), about the Daughters of the American Revolution; Nurse (1979); and Children's Hospital (1985).
Nurse was a major best-seller. The book was an account of the working life of a nurse, based on an pseudonymized series of interviews with a 27-year-old nurse named Philadelphia. The book was made into a movie and a TV series
starring Michael Learned, which won an Emmy award. It was suggested that she title the book "Scar Wars" (playing on the recent popularity of the film "Star Wars"), but Anderson stuck with the less sensationalistic title Nurse. The nurse, nicknamed "Mary Benjamin" in the book, at the time insisted on her anonymity, and "steadfastly protected her identity". She was later identified as Mary Fish and became a life-long friend of Anderson's. For the book, Fish received $2,000 and 5% of profits from the book, for meeting with Anderson for 60 interviews, of two to six hours each.
Anderson's 1972 book The Daughters "was a critical success and financial flop", providing her only a $2,500 advance.
Anderson also had two incomplete manuscripts, one about the murder of her father in Chicago, and another about hospice nursing. The latter book was "almost done" when Anderson died of lung cancer.
(from Wikipedia)
Anderson was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1938, to Catherine Anderson, a nurse, and her husband Wilbert Anderson. She graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, and then joined the Peace Corps. While with the Peace Corps, she taught English for two years in the early 1960s in Togo. After her time in the Peace Corps, she worked as a reporter at The Washington Monthly
and The Philadelphia Inquirer (from 1969-1973).
She wrote three well-known books: The Daughters (1972), about the Daughters of the American Revolution; Nurse (1979); and Children's Hospital (1985).
Nurse was a major best-seller. The book was an account of the working life of a nurse, based on an pseudonymized series of interviews with a 27-year-old nurse named Philadelphia. The book was made into a movie and a TV series
starring Michael Learned, which won an Emmy award. It was suggested that she title the book "Scar Wars" (playing on the recent popularity of the film "Star Wars"), but Anderson stuck with the less sensationalistic title Nurse. The nurse, nicknamed "Mary Benjamin" in the book, at the time insisted on her anonymity, and "steadfastly protected her identity". She was later identified as Mary Fish and became a life-long friend of Anderson's. For the book, Fish received $2,000 and 5% of profits from the book, for meeting with Anderson for 60 interviews, of two to six hours each.
Anderson's 1972 book The Daughters "was a critical success and financial flop", providing her only a $2,500 advance.
Anderson also had two incomplete manuscripts, one about the murder of her father in Chicago, and another about hospice nursing. The latter book was "almost done" when Anderson died of lung cancer.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
August 31, 2010
Another entry in my "dated medicine" collection, this one is much better, much more honest. A first-person retelling of a [quite:] young charge nurse, and the patients she interacts with, the dilemmas she struggles with, and those sorts of things. Things have changed a lot, and things have not changed a lot. Makes me want to write about my experience as a new nurse. Thing I've mulled over the most: the author is very clear about how little respect and professional esteem nurses get from others, especially doctors, but how the newer residents seemed to be improving some. I feel like this is an area where there have been major improvements - I feel like what I do is very respected. So I've been weighing how much of that is related to ongoing efforts of nurses and nursing organizations to emphasize nursing as a profession, vs. the entry of more men into nursing, vs. me specifically as a male nurse. A lot to consider, and no easy answer, but it's gratifying to feel like there has been some progress, at least where I am.
June 11, 2021
Nice to revisit hospital nursing in the 70’s and 80’s, brought back many feelings and memories, especially my days at Harborview.
November 5, 2007
I read this book while in a frenzy of nurse-book-reading last year. This was a tough read for me - while it was published in 1990, the author reminisces about her beginning years as a nurse in the early 1970s. Man, things were different then. Not only did she have to wear a ridiculous uniform, the (all male) doctors treated nurses like crap, and there weren't as many technological advancement to treat severely ill patients as there are today. The procedures and techniques she writes about are mostly obsolete today (like when she makes fun of other nurses for putting gloves on to do peri-care [that's butt-wiping for those of you not in the health care field]) - but the emotional experience of being a nurse has not changed. It's still tough to see your patients lose their battles with cancer or heart disease, it's still hard to get chewed out by a family members, and it's still rewarding when you realize that you've made a difference in someone's life.
I was chatting with the director of the nursing program yesterday about my reading habits, and she was pleased to hear that I'd read some of these not-so-recent nurse stories. She made the excellent point that some of the nurses who were trained in the 1960s or 1970s are still working in the field today, and knowing what their experiences were like may help me see things from their point of view.
I was chatting with the director of the nursing program yesterday about my reading habits, and she was pleased to hear that I'd read some of these not-so-recent nurse stories. She made the excellent point that some of the nurses who were trained in the 1960s or 1970s are still working in the field today, and knowing what their experiences were like may help me see things from their point of view.
April 21, 2017
This was actually a re-read; what stood out this time around was the absurdity of patients and nurses smoking in the hospital, and the appalling level of sexism and outright sexual harassment on the part of doctors. This was written in the 1970s but it might as well have been the 1920s as far as those issues go. Aside from that, it's a detailed account of what it's like to be a nurse, both in terms of the work involved and its effect on the nurse's own personality and relationships.
February 2, 2011
Zzzzzzzzzz.....
September 16, 2020
On a purely factual basis, it was interesting. Not particularly brilliantly written, but held the attention.
March 12, 2021
The story is the perspective and recollections of a nurse in a major city hospital in the mid 1970’s. The book is dated in some respects but it definitely captures the spirit of nursing. The head nurse is definitely empowering, empathetic and professional. She obviously cares deeply for her patients and their families.
November 4, 2013
This book is a candid, no-frills account of what real nursing is like. It is a little outdated though since it was written in the 1970s when nurses had less autonomy than they do today. Back then, IV pushes weren't allowed and doctors rarely asked for updates on a patient's status from nurses. These days, things seem to be much better.
I love how Peggy Anderson goes over the good and the bad parts of nursing. There is nothing more rewarding than to know that you made a patient feel emotionally or physically more comfortable. Mary, the main character, helped Mr. O'Brien through many tough moments. She also goes over the hard parts of nursing such as how to approach topics of death and/or intimacy with patients and hospital staff. This is a very informative read for anyone considering nursing as a career.
I love how Peggy Anderson goes over the good and the bad parts of nursing. There is nothing more rewarding than to know that you made a patient feel emotionally or physically more comfortable. Mary, the main character, helped Mr. O'Brien through many tough moments. She also goes over the hard parts of nursing such as how to approach topics of death and/or intimacy with patients and hospital staff. This is a very informative read for anyone considering nursing as a career.
April 12, 2010
As a nurse I found this book fascinating! It gave a very good perspective on what goes on in a hospital and also what it means to be a nurse. I would recommend it for any medical professionals and anyone who has been in hospitals or plans to go into one soon. It was published in 1976 and I am astonished at the things that never change. I am also amazed at the things that have. For example in 1976 a nurse could not only not put in an IV, she couldn't do an IV push of medication. If a patient needed IV pain meds the doctor had to do it! Imagine that happening on a regular medical floor these days. I loved this book and can highly recommend it, although of course I am biased being a nurse. I have read other books about nursing that I did not find as compelling as this one.
December 11, 2015
A sort of autobiography of a new nurse working in a big city hospital back in the sixties. It is a fast read because you are drawn in to the nurses, what they do their feelings about what they do-the love for even the patients that push them to the edge of patience. You learn that nurses rarely leave their whole self at work and at times can interrupt their personal lives. Great book, esp for new nurses, student nurses, any nurses. Technology has changed but nursing remains the same, hopefully it will stay that way. Good book for patients and anyone who will be the patient ie. almost everyone. Loved this book and the nurse who shared her life.
February 17, 2008
this book is great! i never thought i would be drawn to a book focusing on my career due to the sheer overload of reading and practicing however, it is very representational of nurses and exactly what we do...the phrase on the cover caught my eye when i first picked up this book, it reads, "Doctors don't keep you alive, I do". i loved that statement and HAD to read this book because it is so very true!
November 2, 2012
This booked helped me solidify my decision to enter the nursing field when I read this in High School.
October 19, 2014
Now I am aware of the many good and bad experiences nurses get at work. I can truly see now that nursing is a really tough profession!
March 10, 2015
So outdated that the nursing duties are likely not so relevant, but nice to hear some patient stories.
January 9, 2008
Wasn't as good as I hoped it would be.
February 22, 2025
It's hard to write a review of a book you read 40+ years ago.
So, take this for what it is or isn't worth.
As a student in nursing school, I had never worked in the medical field at all. Nothing. No candy striper. No aide in a nursing home. Nothing.
In fact, I hated everything medical and hospital, including blood and shots. I wasn't afraid of them, just not interested. What turned my head toward medicine was scoring high in Biology on my ACT.
So, yes. Surprising to find me as a nursing student in college. And being lily white fresh in the field of nursing, I started feeling like I needed to know something more. But I couldn't take the time right then to drop out a semester and do volunteer work at the hospital, or even take a part-time job doing something medicine-y. I was on my way to becoming a registered nurse, and every day of class counted, every quiz and exam meant more points toward graduation and fulfilling the now almost-real dream and job.
But I still needed to gain a "feeling" for what a nurse really was. A good friend who was a nurse suggested I read this book, "Nurse." She told me it would give me the up and down feel of what a nurse experienced in a year of hands-on patient care.
I can tell you that this book changed my life, thus a 5-star rating. Not that the writing deserved 5 stars. I can't remember if it did or not. But that it fulfilled every hope I had at that time. I needed the words and experiences that Peggy Anderson writes about. I needed Nurse Mary Benjamin, and her feelings about what she was doing. I'm truly grateful for this book and how it helped me on my path in the world of nursing.
I know there are many more books that have been written since then about the field of medicine. So to recommend this specific book to you, it may not be "the" one that will make the difference. But if you haven't had any others suggested, give it a try. It made the difference in my life.
So, take this for what it is or isn't worth.
As a student in nursing school, I had never worked in the medical field at all. Nothing. No candy striper. No aide in a nursing home. Nothing.
In fact, I hated everything medical and hospital, including blood and shots. I wasn't afraid of them, just not interested. What turned my head toward medicine was scoring high in Biology on my ACT.
So, yes. Surprising to find me as a nursing student in college. And being lily white fresh in the field of nursing, I started feeling like I needed to know something more. But I couldn't take the time right then to drop out a semester and do volunteer work at the hospital, or even take a part-time job doing something medicine-y. I was on my way to becoming a registered nurse, and every day of class counted, every quiz and exam meant more points toward graduation and fulfilling the now almost-real dream and job.
But I still needed to gain a "feeling" for what a nurse really was. A good friend who was a nurse suggested I read this book, "Nurse." She told me it would give me the up and down feel of what a nurse experienced in a year of hands-on patient care.
I can tell you that this book changed my life, thus a 5-star rating. Not that the writing deserved 5 stars. I can't remember if it did or not. But that it fulfilled every hope I had at that time. I needed the words and experiences that Peggy Anderson writes about. I needed Nurse Mary Benjamin, and her feelings about what she was doing. I'm truly grateful for this book and how it helped me on my path in the world of nursing.
I know there are many more books that have been written since then about the field of medicine. So to recommend this specific book to you, it may not be "the" one that will make the difference. But if you haven't had any others suggested, give it a try. It made the difference in my life.
April 28, 2023
This was yet another book that had languished on my office bookshelf for nigh on 30 years. I felt it unfair to simply cull it without having read it.
I was a bit surprised to find out this was written when Nurse Benjamin had only had 5 years of nursing experience at the time. You might expect someone to produce a book like this at the end of their careers, not the beginning. Nevertheless, five years is enough experience to talk about what the job is actually like. It's trials and pitfalls, as well as the perks and benefits. It's an excellent window into the culture of hospitals and nursing (not to mention society and culture writ large), especially when it comes to topics like sexuality, cancer, death and dying, drug use, gender roles, etc. We now live in a world of HIPAA and privacy concerns Thus it was a bit strange to read patients full names used without concern or even mention of confidentiality. It's possible pseudonyms were used but there is no mention. Barely 40 years ago and it was a whole different world in many respects. Benjamin's reasons for becoming a nurse or her descriptions of the qualities one needs to go into nursing are certainly not out of date. This would be a good title to read by anyone thinking about going into nursing. It's a wonderful profession... and recession proof, eh?
I was a bit surprised to find out this was written when Nurse Benjamin had only had 5 years of nursing experience at the time. You might expect someone to produce a book like this at the end of their careers, not the beginning. Nevertheless, five years is enough experience to talk about what the job is actually like. It's trials and pitfalls, as well as the perks and benefits. It's an excellent window into the culture of hospitals and nursing (not to mention society and culture writ large), especially when it comes to topics like sexuality, cancer, death and dying, drug use, gender roles, etc. We now live in a world of HIPAA and privacy concerns Thus it was a bit strange to read patients full names used without concern or even mention of confidentiality. It's possible pseudonyms were used but there is no mention. Barely 40 years ago and it was a whole different world in many respects. Benjamin's reasons for becoming a nurse or her descriptions of the qualities one needs to go into nursing are certainly not out of date. This would be a good title to read by anyone thinking about going into nursing. It's a wonderful profession... and recession proof, eh?
November 3, 2016
While admittedly dated (there are passages of smoking on the floors), Nurse takes you into the world of an urban nurse and her day to day life working with real patients. She sees it all - patients fighting to survive, patients giving up, and patients who know the end is near. The good, the bad, and the ugly is all contained in this slice-of-life story. At the time I read this, I was considering becoming a nurse, and I figured reading a true story of what it's like would be a good place to start. I am very glad I did so. This book helped me decide that being a nurse was what I wanted to do.
May 15, 2020
2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge - A book about or by a woman in STEM (main character is a head nurse on a general medical-surgical hospital floor)
52 Books in 52 Weeks 2020 Reading Challenge - A book written in the 1970s (first published in 1978)
20 in 20 Reading Challenge - A book you read in your childhood (I read this book sometime during my late middle/early high school years when I first became interested in the medical field)
A to Z Reading Challenge - A book that starts with the letter "N"
52 Books in 52 Weeks 2020 Reading Challenge - A book written in the 1970s (first published in 1978)
20 in 20 Reading Challenge - A book you read in your childhood (I read this book sometime during my late middle/early high school years when I first became interested in the medical field)
A to Z Reading Challenge - A book that starts with the letter "N"
November 25, 2017
This book was interesting in a historical perspective, because the story it tells is of being a nurse in a very different time from today. (True, it’s only a few decades, but those decades have made a world of difference in nursing.) The story and the nurse’s emotions felt very real, and I enjoyed seeing my career through the lens of a different time. Some things changed immensely, others, not enough.
January 7, 2019
Such an eye opening read, I definatly have a new respect for nurses! My biggest issue with the book was at times it seemed to bounce from one idea to the next and there were some medical terms that as someone who does not know a lot about medicine had me confused at times. Other than that I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it! The main character is very relatable and interesting to listen to!
June 19, 2020
Re-read from many years ago. Although dated, this is a good summary of the life of a charge nurse in a city hospital. She's thoughtful, detailed, and well-spoken. Some things about sexual matters struck me as borderline gratuitous, but she handled it well. She was obviously a very good nurse. I also liked the one patient story that ran through the entire book and provided somewhat of a plot to what was really a non-fiction journal. The writing is excellent.
February 6, 2019
This was one of the first nursing books I've ever read and I can say that I know this book will stick with me forever. It is beautifully written (very simple but also involving medical terms) and it gave me so much insight into what it was like being a nurse in the 70s, the way that the women were treated was crazy! This book touched my heart and I know that I will never forget Anderson's story.
January 25, 2022
This is an old book of my mom's that was given to her by my father. She's a nurse and he was a doctor. It's very dated but a good read to see how things used to be in healthcare. It was very insightful to see what this nurse's life was like in her position as head nurse and what and how nursing used to be, how it was viewed, and how the profession as a while was treated.
May 22, 2017
Definitely is a bit dated.. but I found it interesting.. book is about nursing in the 70's
October 12, 2018
Such a great book about nursing. Helpful insight on how the occupation is and how it can possibly affect not only oneself, but family, patients, ext.. Loved it!
October 30, 2018
I have not rrad Nurse, but can anybody tell me how long or short it is
November 20, 2018
It was a chore getting through this one.
December 19, 2018
Great read!!
March 8, 2019
2.5 stars. Meh.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews