EMERGENCY: real stories from Australia's emergency department doctors

by Simon Judkins

Every day across Australia, specialist emergency physicians do extraordinary things under immense pressure. The stakes are high; everyone gets pushed to the limit. Lives are saved, patients die. Some staff manage the stress, others burn out.

The ED demands a lot of its practitioners. They have to work through whatever medical emergency they encounter: a man who has been trapped in a rubbish compactor, a teenage girl in anaphylactic shock, a woman howling in labour while behind the curtain another life is coming quietly to an end. The doctors must deal with high emotions, battle the constant patient backlog and make clear, considered, life-or-death decisions in an often chaotic environment.

These are the doctors' stories from the front line.

Genres: Medical, Nonfiction

258 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are true stories from a variety of Emergency Department doctors across Australia. It is the stories about the patients saved and lost , and the ones you always remember. It is also about the long hours, personal sacrifice and burn out that many doctors face. A compelling read.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of short stories set in the ED

[Kecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting collection of short "stories" which illustrate both the frenetic environment of an ED department and the dizzying array of different patients. Some of the best stories were set in PNG and the NT which clearly showed the need for more cultural competency in healthcare.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection of stories. Intense and eye opening.

[Diane Henry]

Via Joe Rotella

[Olwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A series of short stories from a variety of emergency doctors. Interesting to dip into, but there is no developing theme so it doesn't matter where you start.

[Monica Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection of stories of life as an ER physician. If you want to get a bit more insight as to what it is really like for these amazing men and women, read this book.

[Mary Hibble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of ED stories