A good read

Published

Specializes in Level III NICU.

Anyone read "Playing God in the Nursery" lately? It was written in the 80's, but we're still dealing with many of the same issues today. I'm about halfway into it, one of my coworkers recently read it.

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

I read it a few years ago.... it was interesting to read, especially how different the practices were even in the 80s.

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Specializes in Level III NICU.

Yeah, it is amazing how far we've come in the last 25 years or so.

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Specializes in NICU.

I read that book a few years ago. Wasn't that the one where there were several cases discussed and there were all the doc's opinions about what to do with each baby's care? Am I thinking of the right book? It showed how we literally play God in deciding who lives and dies in the NICU. I think there were a couple of kids with hydrocephalus, and I thought there was one family that didn't even want to feed their baby, wanted to let him die, but really he had a decent prognosis and it was very unethical to stop feeds. Meanwhile there was a different baby with hydro who had a horrible prognosis yet the parents wanted everything done and the docs felt it was unethical to do so.

Is that the right book?

Another good one is "Baby ER" which is a nice thing to give to family and friends of ours who really don't "get" what happens in the NICU, what we do every day. The ones who think that we just feed babies all day long...or the ones who think all our babies die.

A great book for new NICU nurses to read is "Saul" by Rosemary Kay. It's the story of a 23-weeker written by his mother...from his point of view. Gives a totally different perspective and really makes you THINK about what these babies are going through. I've read it a lot and cry my eyes out every time!

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Specializes in Level III NICU.

Yes, that is the book. I haven't read the other books you mentioned, I'll have to look for them.

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Specializes in NICU.

http://www.amazon.com/Saul-Rosemary-Kay/dp/0312253338/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207065958&sr=8-10

http://www.amazon.com/BABY-ER-Doctors-Medicines-Miracles/dp/B000H2MGXU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207065925&sr=8-1

Baby ER is usually found in regular public libraries and major bookstores. Saul I ordered online years ago and have never seen it around here as it was published in Britain.

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Specializes in Level III NICU.

Thanks!!

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'Big George: Autobiography of an Angel' is also a good one. Written from the baby's point of view.

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