The Care Factor

by Ailsa Wild

The Care Factor tells the story of one incredible nurse – one among many – who chose to meet an unprecedented global health crisis on the frontline.  
 
Simone Sheridan has one of the most sought-after skills today. As a nurse, her skill is to care. When Covid-19 began to spread across the world in 2020, Sim volunteered to retrain to work in Melbourne’s intensive care units. And as she prepared to go back to ICU and case numbers began climbing, Sim started talking to her friend Ailsa. Through the exhaustion, the confusion, the many tears and the surprising moments of hilarity, Sim kept talking. And Ailsa started writing. 
 
In The  Care Factor, Ailsa walks behind Sim as she faces the realities of the coronavirus. The result is a deeply human account of what the pandemic has really meant, not just for Sim and her fellow health professionals, but also for their patients, their families and friends, and the many who faced life in lockdown. This is a celebration of nursing, of friendship, and of the layers of connection and care that allow us to keep going when it feels impossible.  

'This book has single-handedly restored my faith in humanity. Offering a rare and thrilling glimpse into the life of a frontline healthcare worker during the COVID-19 Pandemic, The Care Factor is full to bursting with spirit, guts, empathy and love. It humbled and moved me in so many ways. I can’t recommend it enough!' – Emily Bitto, author of Stella Prize winning novel The Strays

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2021

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolute flurry of emotions - reading a book about a healthcare workers experience during the pandemic, as a healthcare worker isolated in a room with covid-19. 2 years of this pandemic has taught me to be more patient, to care more deeply for patients who are so alone, and to be mindful that everyone is feeling exhausted. Whilst the lessons we learn are invaluable, and I’ll carry them with me through the rest of my days as an OT, I can’t wait for some of these feelings to pass (and to travel again)!

[Lauren Riots · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every minute.

[Louise Findlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughed and cried, absolutely loved this and highly recommend to EVERYONE.
Perhaps not the best time to have read it due to our current COVID situation, it had me feeling as though 'history' is repeating itself a year on. If it's possible, I have even more respect for our health care heroes.

[Abbie McLoughlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesus Christ. I had been putting off reading this because I thought it may have been ‘too soon’ but by god I’m glad I read it. I found a lot of this to be so close to my own experiences that it was a touch overwhelming, but in the best way. Looking back on recent history is wild, what the actual fuck has the last 18 months been? This book helped me to make sense of it all.

[Natasha (jouljet) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A capture of that extraordinary time of early COVID-19 uncertainty, lockdowns and anxiety, and the incredible pivot everyone, but especially health staff, had to do to keep us all safe, as well as can be, and towards this return to normality.

A record of the juggle and struggle those of us in Health did to learn protocols that were constantly changing, support patients and co-workers - whilst everyone else around lost jobs, were trapped at home doom scrolling like never before, finding ways to create normal and watching all the television. Ha. This, hopefully, will all seem like a distant memory one day, so it's important to have it recorded like this for then.

Simone is Ailsa's friend who is a nurse in several roles, who takes on a host of new and former nursing roles as the COVID cases rise in Melbourne, lockdowns are extended, and health advice in and out of hospitals changes almost hourly. Nursing in ICU wards, being on the COVID response support and monitoring calls, all whilst still doing her nurse education roles in sexual health and domestic violence supports. Incredible. Ailsa got to be a lifeline whilst recording it all for this account.

Simone does extraordinary work here, as the nursing and health staff did. It's so important to have these experiences shared - and remembered, because even as a social worker rather than a nurse through these times, all those pivots, new roles, and PPE almost feels like an unreal nightmare we all had.

For anyone who didn't have direct knowledge of the efforts health staff went to to get us all out of hospitals and lockdowns, this will help you become an advocate to pay nurses better, always.

[chooksandbooksnz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Care Factor - Alissa Wild

The Care Factor is a book based on healthcare surrounding COVID-19 and a good solid friendship. Based in Melbourne, Australia- Alissa has written this book affectionately telling the story of her friend Sim, a caring and multi-skilled nurse working on the frontline. You can tell pretty quickly that Sim is a relentlessly passionate nurse. Passionate about the responsibility of her job and helping others. Sim has a huge focus on connecting with and understanding patients.

We know that a pandemic stretches any health system and it’s staff to the limits but this book fills in the blanks and adds detail to that statement. I learnt many examples of shortcomings that I had never even considered and the wide range of issues this creates for staff and patients. It also reminds us on the wide scope of practice nurses cover and how broad healthcare is.

It also helped to humanise those frontline healthcare superheroes that we hear about on the news and in our local hospitals as sometimes we can weirdly forget they are humans too.

There was a great analogy about dealing with the pandemic and how ‘it was like building an aeroplane while it’s already flying’.

A diverse range of topics were touched on throughout and it was a quick yet satisfying and heartfelt read.

[Coco Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was created as a result of phone calls between a nurse and her friend during the peak of the pandemic in Melbourne, and the connection between the women gave so much depth to this book. It shined a light on the difficulties of health care workers through the experiences of one nurse who retrained to work in the ICU, but it also touched on family violence, logistical challenges, harassment of hospital staff, and the difficulties facing trans healthcare workers. All of these topics were highlighted by stories of human connection, whether it be with patients or other hospital staff, and treated with so much compassion.

This book was so much more than I was expecting (I most certainly was not expecting to cry over the statistics surrounding family violence in Australia) - but even with the heavy nature of the topics covered I read this book in a matter of hours.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
I didn’t expect to enjoy this mostly because I thought it would trigger all the thoughts/feelings/anxieties form the burnout I’m still facing as a nurse/Midwife. To my surprise this was a really easy book to read as it’s written very plainly and from a distance as Ailsa writes about her friends experience as a nurse in Victoria as she’s been told. I absolutely flew through it. While COVID is still a heavy topic (other topics are discussed including sexual assault/harassment), it was refreshing how this book touched on the various impacts of COVID in the health system, from ICU to sexual health support. I was in awe of Simone and the various paths and roles she has undertaken. It was also nice to see other nurses feeling imposter syndrome and made me feel seen and heard.

[Rosa Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this read for nurses and non-nurses alike.

I cried and chuckled, nodded my head more times than I can count. I felt so sad when it ended. Simone is an incredible human and nurse, and Ailsa Wild perfectly captures her character, integrity and genuine deep care for everyone she encounters. Ailsa’s writing is clear, compassionate and heartfelt.

I work in a different part of the hospital now but many of my own experiences of working in the beginning of the pandemic (I was on mat leave for our main peak in Melbourne) are reflected with precision and compassion.

Truly lovely and important, well done on a great book Ailsa and Sim!!

[Tiffany Plummer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Care Factor is an extraordinary dive into the nursing world that experienced at times, harrowing and expendential change during the Victorian Covid lockdown. Following one nurse's journey, we are given a birds eye view of the pressure, experiences and exemplary nursing care provided to the patients of the Royal Melbourne Hospital . This book will stand as a reminder of the challenges faced and met by the womderful people who work in and provide health care to our neighbours and community.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Largely an account of a brilliant and caring nurse during the Covid lockdown in Melbourne as told by her friend. This pandemic has been a stressful time for everyone, but most especially for frontliners. The care and concern expressed by those who work through and against the pandemic is more than admirable. I cannot imagine how overwhelming and frightful it is to be a hospital worker in other more stricken countries. We are definitely lucky here in Australia.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book you'll breeze through because it makes the pandemic personal, turning it into something grounding and great. A humanising health-centred perspective is the perfect panacea to soothe the last few years of non-stop news and noise.

Although I do so wish to devour a Melbourne-based book told by someone who lives outside the Brunswick/Fitzroy/Collingwood inner north nexus – which reflects more on my previous reading persuasion than on this particular paperback.

[Ravintolat · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I appreciate I'm late to the party on this one but it's still relevant and still an important read. At the time and place I was reading it no one seems to care about a pandemic even though our hospitals are full, death rates are higher than ever before and there aren't enough teachers to teach classes.
I worry about the hidden toll of what's happening now. That's what it made me think about. That and how fucking amazing some women are.

[Sophia Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this gem in a day. It’s quite an insightful book profiling the life of a nurse on the frontlines during Melbourne’s covid-19 lockdowns. I enjoyed the ease in which this book moved between stories of personal friendship, collegial relationships, whānau struggles and triumphs, and patient experiences. I would recommend this to everyone. It is a brilliantly written snapshot of life in a pandemic.

[Glen Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book is so much more then just a story of a covid nurse.

It is a small glimpse into the workings of an awesome human being! And her circle of other awesome humans!

Loved it!

It makes readers reflect to see if we can do more within our own lives to support others. To empower or advocate for others more then we already do.

[tisasday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique narrative from the perspectives of nurses who work for agencies and float between different assignments in different institutions, and how things have had to change and adapt in the unique circumstances brought about by COVID-19. Very interesting to read about the sexual health nurse role in Australia, covering a very overlooked segment of healthcare.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible.
As an Australian healthcare worker myself I wondered how I would cope with this book. But it is brilliant.
Genuine, honest, true. I felt seen and heard and like I was not alone in what I have lived these last 18months.
Highly recommend

[pfctdayelise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful pandemic/lockdown memoir. I devoured it in a weekend.

[Jessica Offer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a loving, heartfelt and insightful book. Thank you Sim for everyone you’ve done, for your kindness.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant account of a nurse heading heart open right into the covid pandemic in Melbourne. Ailsa and Sim portray what it is to be a nurse in such a true and beautiful way. Loved this book.

[Pip · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I have read for a long time. It has brought up all the feels from last year.

[maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hit close to home. Probably would have preferred to read this in a few years, feels almost too soon. Well written and quick read.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melbourne ICU nurse chronicles during 2020, heartwarming behind the scenes story of caring written by her neighbour and friend #highlyrecommend

[Samantha Ruth Lai · Rating 5 out of 5]

more than just a book about being on the frontlines during covid man... 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think my rating is slightly biased due to the fact that I know Sim through my sister :)

[Elllie · Rating 5 out of 5]

How beautiful and intense and real.

[Sally Vuong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real glad I read this book

[Camila - Books Through My Veins · Rating 4 out of 5]

- thanks to @booksontherail and @hardiegrantbooks for my #gifted copy

Anyone would think that reading a non-fiction book in our current climate, about how much the health system in Australia -specifically in Melbourne- is struggling to cope in the middle of a pandemic is not a very good idea. However, the only thing I can say I regret is not having read this book sooner.

In The Care Factor, Ailsa Wild tells the story of an incredible nurse and friend of hers, Simone Sheridan. When the pandemic begins in 2020, Simone volunteers to retrain and work at some of Melbourne's intense care units to help with the increasing demand for medical personnel. To say that Simone has an extremely hard time coping with her work life is an understatement, so it's because of this that Simone seeks Ailsa's open heart and ears. Ailsa writes about her conversations with Simone, which later became this book.

Ailsa did a tremendous job at putting this book together, embedding her writing with the undoubted love, care and respect she has for her friend Simone. Because Ailsa is recounting what Simone tells her over the phone or FaceTime during long periods of time where they could not see each other, this book feels like a reflection of what it feels like to be a frontier health worker and what supporting one -in any means possible- feels like. Apart from learning a lot about what has been happening in hospitals since COVID-19 started, I also learned how crucial it is to remain kind, especially under these extreme circumstances, whether patient or worker, healthy or sick.

Ultimately, The Care Factor helps achieve something invaluable: humanise health workers -the actual superheroes of this pandemic- and, at least personally, return faith in people. Although this book was an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end, I was constantly invaded with warmth and love, and by the end, I could only feel enormous gratitude for the privilege to read this book.

Overall, The Care Factor is a heart-felt must-read full of pivotal information, but above all, kindness, love and hope for better days.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having lived through Melbourne’s lockdown, I didn’t know how well I would cope with reading this book, but it was incredible.

Sim is a powerhouse of a human and she gives me hope that there are people who keep caring in a system that isn’t built to care.

Ailsa is an enthralling writer and her perspectives on lockdown were achingly reminiscent of my own.

We think we understand what happened in Melbourne in 2020 but most of us have no idea. The insight this book gives into the medical system, the welfare system, the problematic aspects of agency and casual work, the intense need we as a society have to care for other people more, it was so incredibly moving to read.

I cried a lot. I was overwhelmed a few times, feeling taken back to spending hundreds of days in my apartment, isolated and afraid. I would warn anyone who is concerned about going back to their lockdown headspace to tread lightly, but this book helped me to heal some of that pain and grief.

Thank you Ailsa and Sim and everyone else who was a part of this book. It’s essential reading and I’m so glad you told this story.