Has Anyone Read the Echo Heron Books?

Nurses General Nursing

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I was wondering if anyone has read any of the books written by Echo Heron. She is a gifted writer, and I have loved her books (Intensive Care, The Story of a Nurse; Condition Critical, The Story of a Nurse Continues). In these books, she chronicles the trials and tribulations of nursing school as well as her 20 years of practice in CCU and ED units. Although her non-fiction books are awesome, I've heard that her fiction lacks the pizazz that her other books have. Has anyone read these books? What did you think of them?

She is very critical on management though. If anyone knows why she's so critical of management, could you please post about it? I'd like to know about the "other side of the coin", as I'd like to consider a post in management one day.

Not to give it away, **STOP READING IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPOILERS**

But she quit nursing after her second book and went to go live on an island on Montserrat. Even though she has written a 3rd non-fiction book (Nurses on the Front Line - or something like that), I don't believe she has returned to Nursing. Does anyone know what she's doing now? Did she ever return to nursing?

If you'd like a great read about Nursing, I highly recommend her books. She's a very gifted writer and I've enjoyed them very much. I'm just wondering if other people have read them, especially other nurses and what they thought.

Katherine

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Indeed Ms Heron is a gifted writer. I enjoyed her non-fiction as well as her fiction. As to why she is so critical of management, you might re-read the first 2 books. She is a bedside nurse who was trying her hardest to give real care and was not able to for many of the same reasons we are not today. Ratios,policies and such that were written by those who never go near the bedside.

I always look forward to reading he books..she is a hoot.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Love Echo Heron books also. She tells it like it is...even now. I think her books are about ten years old too and still current.

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I just wonder what she ended up doing. I've done some searches, and I haven't found anything. I hope that she still is an advocate for nurses everywhere!

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You know, I believe she is a nurse activist. I remember she was a featured guest lecturer for the California Nurses assn at their 100th anniversary (unfortunately I didn't go, since I couldn't get off work!)

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I discovered her books before starting nursing school, and was thrilled to find a description of what the day-to-day events are like for a hospital RN. It helped solidify my choice of entering this profession. I believe that her activism helped establish union activity on the West coast within this field -- I wonder if we would be talking about "Magnet" hospitals, the importance of low RN to pt ratios, continuing education, and "supportive" management styles if it were'nt in part for her influence? I now work in a wonderful environment in Seattle (UWMC), and thank her for it.

I also wonder where she is now....

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She has a website . . .

http://www.echoheron.com/

steph

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Specializes in ER!.

Her first two books were awesome. I discovered her while I was still in nursing school, and her descriptions of therapeutic communication just made me howl! I also loved her recounting of her first night of work and the 25-year-old pt who had had a circumcision- funny, funny, funny! (Paraphrasing here... "It was dressed and supported by a piece of guaze that looked like a little hammock... the thought crossed my mind that perhaps I should offer it a glass of lemonade." :rotfl: )

Her Front Line book was incredible, especially the stories from the nurses who worked in OKC at the time of the bombing. No nurse could possibly read that and not feel an enormous sense of pride for our profession and what we do. Unfortunately, I have found her fiction to be terrible, which was a very disappointing surprise, since her first two books were superbly written. I haven't been able to finish even one of the fiction books, but her other three made me laugh, made me cry, and motivated me to endure a horrible instructor with the kind of grace she showed in the same situation-- I've read them all at least 5 times apiece.

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Specializes in tele, stepdown/PCU, med/surg.

Check out her site that Steph posted, it tells you what she's doing now. She's got some morificecripts out there, just not officially published.

I've one of her fiction books and it's not bad. They're fun to read and heck, it's good to have some nurse-mystery books out there!!

I know it sounds silly but a dream of mine is to meet her someday.

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Thanks for the link Steph! I had been curious as to her wherabouts.

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I know it sounds silly but a dream of mine is to meet her someday.

I read her first book, thought it was great. I kinda stumbled upon it in the book store looking for anything nursing. I didn't realize she had written so many more books. Ill be sure to pick them up.

Hey I wouldn't mind meeting here either. I think it would be cool, I've never met any writers that wrote books I liked. Brandon

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I have a couple of her non-fiction books that I've read and was going to put in my yard sale (decluttering here). If anyone wants them, feel free to PM me and I'd be happy to send them to ya instead! :)

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