“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription”
Nurses are the backbone of any health services and often some of the most undervalued and taken for granted members of any medical team. Today we’re showing our appreciation for all the world’s nurses by dedicating a blog to books about nurses, or nursing.
A mix of nonfiction and fiction, these five books all feature nursing, or nurses heavily and come from a range of genres.
A Nurse’s Story – Tilda Shalof
Nonfiction
Tilda Shalof worked within the ICU unit of a big-city hospital alongside a team of staff that were wild, funny, but incredibly caring. Here she reveals what it’s really like to work behind the hospital curtain.
Call the Midwife – Jennifer Worth
Memoir
The first in a series of books, adapted to a popular BBC show, Call the Midwife is a striking memoir that is hard not to read in Jennifer’s own voice. Honest, compassionate and well researched, this is a must read for everyone interested in nursing, midwifery, or just fans of historical fiction.
When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalinithi
Memoir
At age 36 after a decade of training to become a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalinithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer, this is his story as Kalinithi comes to terms with his diagnosis, with having too much knowledge and of accepting his own mortality.
Shroud for a Nightingale –P.D James
Fiction/ Mystery
Nurses often feature in murder mysteries and it’s easy to see why. Shroud for a Nightingale is the fourth in the Adam Dalgliesh mysteries and is set in Nightingale House, a nursing school.
The Healer’s War – Elizabeth A. Scarborough
Fiction/Fantasy
The Healer’s War has a mystical magical twist, but as it’s written from Scarborough’s own experience as a Vietnam nurse, there’s more than a hint of realism too!
Hopefully there’s something there for everyone, and to all the nurses ‘may your breaks be long and your bedpans be empty!’ (or at least long enough to read a chapter or two).
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