Books that show what nursing is like in real world

[APP]

Can anyone recommend books, fiction or non-fiction, that give a realistic picture of what nusing is like on a day-to-day basis? (Or movies, for that matter)

I'm considering a career change into nursing, but fear making the wrong decisions, want as much info as possible.

Thanks

[lannisz]

Years ago I read a couple books by Echo Heron (real name!) before I went to nursing school. She wrote about her career in nursing. They were really good, sometimes hard to read, but I think accurate. I don't remember the titles, just the author's name

[rnsrgr8t]

I read that book by Echo Heron (I cannot remember the name of it either) which was a really good book as well. Good Luck!

[ChiaLing]

Suzanne Gordon has some great work, too, although they tend to focus more on how difficult today's nursing is.

Try Life Support: Three Nurses on the Front Lines. I read this book when I was taking prereqs and it totally inspired me.

Also try Nursing Against the Odds, which tends to paint a more troubled picture of today's healthcare climate, but I thought it also vividly described the nursing role.

[crna2bkristan]

Those were great books. She has, like, 4 out. Two were "Intensive Care" and "Story of A Nurse," or somethng like that.

[TopCat1234]

one i picked up recently was "so you want to be a nurse?" by marianne pilgrim calabrese. i enjoyed it and in asking my mom, the rn, she said it was pretty dead on.

topcat

[HRM672]

Something else you might consider is spending a day or more shadowing a nurse. In my area at least (Atlanta), there are many hospitals which will let a person interested in a nursing career shadow a nurse for a day.

Good luck!

[3KittiesRN]

I looooooooved the books by Echo Heron the first one I read is about her life during nursing school and it is called "Intensive Care: The story of a nurse". The second one I read is about her life after school and her burnout, it is called "Condition Critical". I highly reccomend the first book, the second one wasnt as good. She also wrote a book called "Tending Lives" it was very entertaining. It is about a whole bunch of different nurses and their specialties. I read a whole bunch including "Trauma Junkie" by Janice Hudson. I reccomend that one also. I read it in a day!!!

[Mimi2RN, ASN, RN]

I have read most of Echo Heron's books, too. She writes well, unfortunately, she got burned out, and dropped out of nursing.

http://www.echoheron.com/

We all have different experiences, though, and all deal differently with those experiences. It might be a good idea to Job Shadow at your local hospital (here it can be arranged through the Nursing School at our local Community College).

I'm out of town right now, when I get home, I'll look at my books and post some more titles and authors.

[marilynmom, LPN, NP]

I will second Echo Herons books! I read everyone of her nursing books and totally enjoyed them. In fact I think I will re-read one or two of them before I start nursing school in the fall.