Synopses & Reviews
Nursing is more than a career; it is a calling, and one of the most important and fascinating professions in the world. In few other careers are overworked, understaffed people so devoted to their work that they toil 12-16 hours without eating, sleeping, or taking breaks. And they are expected to elicit high patient satisfaction scores from patients who might scratch, hit, bite, or otherwise assault them. Nurses are remarkable. Yet contemporary literature largely neglects them.
In THE NURSES, New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist Alexandra Robbins celebrates these brave women and men – and provides them with a fast-paced read they can give to family and friends and say, “This is what it’s like to be me.” THE NURSES is both a riveting work of investigative journalism and an inspirational rallying cry, reminding nurses that they should be deeply proud of what they do and motivating readers to fight for the appreciation that nurses deserve.
Robbins followed nurses in four hospitals over the course of a year and interviewed hundreds of others to write a captivating story filled with joy and violence, trauma and miracles, dark humor and narrow victories, infuriating struggles and heroic endeavors. THE NURSES presents sympathetic, engaging characters while diving deep into their world of controlled chaos. The result is a page-turner possessing all the twists and turns of a brilliantly told narrative – and a shocking, unvarnished examination of our health care system.
“Our story needs to be told,” a nurse told Robbins. “We want to be heard.” They will be. And you will never view nurses the same way again.
Review
"The author has a gift for writing fact like fiction." --Kirkus Reviews
Review
"A funny, intimate & often jaw-dropping account of life behind the scenes.." —
People "...a detailed, sympathetic, and eye-opening portrait of how nurses work, deal with stresses, and fulfill their mission of serving patients...An insightful perspective on the realities of crucial health care providers." —
Kirkus Reviews "After interviewing hundreds, Robbins narrowed her focus to the personal narratives of four nurses.... Their stories are compelling in every way." —
Bookpage "...dishes eye-opening material." —
Publishers Weekly "Anyone who has ever set foot in a hospital—or might in the future—would do well to read this book. With page-turning prose, Robbins pulls back the curtain on a world rife with joy and challenge. It's brutally honest, emotional, and most of all, a paean to nurses—the people who help us live, die, and survive every day." — Rachel Simmons, author of
Odd Girl Out "Nurses are the unseen warriors of the hospital system, part of a 'secret club' of heroes with its own rules and codes. They're also strong-willed, flawed human beings made of flesh and (unafraid of) blood, rendered here in stunning detail. This fascinating and compulsively readable book even has a few tricks that could save your life. First tip: Don't get sick in July." — Mickey Rapkin, author of
Pitch Perfect "A fascinating and somewhat alarming examination of the contemporary nursing profession...Robbins not only shows, she tells in this revealing expose of the modern day state of nursing. It is an eye-opener not to be missed.” —EarlyWord
"Readers... will find themselves guided by an excellent stylist and a first-rate mind." —
Houston Chronicle “Alexandra Robbins writes reality TV in book form.” —
New Jersey Star-Ledger "A rich, fast-paced book about heroic, neglected professionals; editor's recommendation." —
Barnes and Noble“The Nurses' is exciting and honest, from admission to release. Robbins…busts myths, shows the inner workings of emergency rooms, offers golden advice, and explains behind-the-scenes events and why nurses deserve way more kudos than they get.” —The Daily News
Synopsis
Nursing is more than a career; it is a calling, and one of the most important, fascinating, and dangerous professions in the world. As the frontline responders battling traumas, illnesses, and aggression from surprising sources, nurses are remarkable. Yet contemporary literature largely neglects them.
In THE NURSES, New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist Alexandra Robbins peers behind the staff-only door to write a lively, fast-paced story and a riveting work of investigative journalism. Robbins followed real-life nurses in four hospitals and interviewed hundreds of others in a captivating book filled with joy and violence, miracles and heartbreak, dark humor and narrow victories, gripping drama and unsung heroism.
Alexandra Robbins creates sympathetic, engaging characters while diving deep into their world of controlled chaos the hazing ( nurses eat their young ); sex (not exactly like on TV, but it happens more often than you think); painkiller addiction (disproportionately a problem among the best and brightest); and bullying (by doctors, patients, and others). The result is a page-turner possessing all the twists and turns of a brilliantly told narrative and a shocking, unvarnished examination of our healthcare system.
THE NURSES is a must-read both for the general public, who will learn hospital secrets that could save their own or a loved one s life, and for nurses, who will proudly share the book as a rallying cry for support and celebration."
Synopsis
In the same way that she explored the inner workings of sororities in her New York Times bestseller Pledged, award-winning journalist Alexandra Robbins now digs into another subculture of unique sisterhood—with a riveting look at a profession we all know, but in fact know little about.
Told through the real-life stories and experiences of four nurses in four different hospitals over the course of one year, The Nurses is both a revealing portrait of an insular subculture and its 3.5 million members, the vast majority of which are women; and a work of investigative journalism examining the health care industry, its treatment (and mistreatment) of nurses, its flaws and contradictions. It’s a story of one of the world’s most vital professions and one of the world’s most dangerous, filled with violence, trauma, narrow victories, and heroic endeavors. In following four nurses, and interviewing hundreds of others, Alexandra Robbins creates sympathetic, involving characters while diving deep into their world of controlled chaos—the hazing (“nurses eat their young”); sex (not exactly like on TV, but it happens more than you think); drug abuse (disproportionately a problem among the best and brightest); and bullying (individually, by doctors; and collectively, by hospital and health care bureaucrats). The result is a story possessing all the twists and turns and satisfactions of a brilliantly told narrative, and an unvarnished, often infuriating look at our health care system.
Synopsis
In THE NURSES, New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Robbins peers behind the staff-only door to write a lively, fast-paced story and a riveting work of investigative journalism.
THE NURSES is a must-read for the general public, who will learn hospital secrets that could save their own or a loved one’s life, and for nurses, who will proudly share the book as a rallying cry for support and celebration.
About the Author
Alexandra Robbins is an award-winning journalist and author of four New York Times bestsellers, including Pledged and The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The Atlantic, and other publications, and she’s appeared on numerous television shows, including 60 Minutes, the Today show, Oprah, and The Colbert Report.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
Prologue
CHAPTER 1
What It’s Really Like to Be a Nurse: The Joy and Heartbreak of the “Secret Club”
CHAPTER 2
Crossing Doctor–Nurse Lines: How the Sexy-Nurse Stereotype Affects Relationships with Doctors and Patients
CHAPTER 3
Who Protects the Nurses? Taking Care of People Who Punch You in the Face
CHAPTER 4
When Nurses Bully Nurses: Hierarchies, Hazing, and Why They Eat Their Young
CHAPTER 5
Burnt to a Crisp: How Nurses Cope—and Why Some Crack
CHAPTER 6
The Stepford Nurse: How Hospitals Game the System for Patient “Satisfaction”
CHAPTER 7
The Code of Silence: Painkillers, Gossip, and Other Temptations
CHAPTER 8
Don’t Get Sick in July: Nurses’ Secrets—What Patients Need to Know About Their Hospitals and Their Health
CHAPTER 9
What Makes a Hero: Why Nurses Do What They Do
CHAPTER 10
What You Can Do: Advice and Inspiration for the Public, Patients, Families, Nurses, Aspiring Nurses, Managers, and Others
Wall of Heroes
Acknowledgments
Notes