Cherry Ames (Nurse) Stories

[Guest717236]

When I was recovering from my surgery (tonsils:crying2:) many, many ,many years ago--

my therapy was reading Cherry Ames Nurse stories. It was a wonderful little

series, and if you would like an interesting glimpse into nursing past, see if you

can find some of the older stories at your used book store.

Recently a few of the books were re released and are on the link below...

The Cherry Ames Page: Book Summaries

Anyone else remember Cherry Ames books?:)

Flight nurse and Dude Ranch nurse were my favorites.......

[Benedina]

llg wrote,

"When I was a senior in college, I got a copy of "Cherry Ames, Student Nurse." We all had a good laugh over it. But I LOVED one line in the book that still rings true to me today. It said:

"A nurse will never stand when she can sit ... and will never sit when she can lie down."

I must be missing my editor's work today, because I have to be picky and point out that the actual quote is in SUE BARTON, SENIOR NURSE and reads:

"Nurses seldom stand when they can sit, or sit when they can lie down."

And it's fitting that it should be the Sue Barton book with the nifty quote, since the Sue Barton books were written by an actual nurse, the truly interesting Helen Dore Boylston, graduate of Mass General Hospital's school of nursing.

I liked the Cherry Ames books as a kid, but I was devoted to Sue Barton books!

Dina

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

Loved Sue Barton, too!

I have all the Cherry Ames books and All the Sue Barton books. I loved them when I was young and I still love them.

Cherry Ames may be a little too perfect and her constant doctor-boyfriend tiring, but I still love them.

I like Sue Barton even better - she's a little less perfect, a little more human some how.

[sharpeimom]

i loved both cherry ames and sue barton! i frequently had my nose in a book as a kid.:)

[brighella]

I collect them, and honestly do find them laughably antiquated. However, I've often though that a modern day version, speaking to exactly what nurses do these days would be a good read, especially for the tween girl set. Just like old Nancy Drew mysteries were so funny with their talk of roadsters and gay frocks, but there have been some more modern Nancy Drews written since the 50s. I should be writing them now while I am underemployed....

[XingtheBBB, BSN, RN]

When I was a senior in college, I got a copy of "Cherry Ames, Student Nurse." We all had a good laugh over it. But I LOVED one line in the book that still rings true to me today. It said:

"A nurse will never stand when she can sit ... and will never sit when she can lie down."

Now THAT quote made sense to me! We really loved that line -- on multiple levels.

I remember that line, too. It often runs through my head if I socialize with neighborhood friends after work... and I'm the only one sitting. It's from the social when Cherry met the probationer she was supposed to mentor.

I read most of the books as a child and still have all the ones I owned. I did buy some of the new editions too. I see the books I never got to read (Jungle nurse and Ski Nurse) are in print again, too.

I laugh at her now. After 15 job changes she was still described i the beginning of each book as "the pretty young nurse... rosy cheeks... black hair" Didn't she age? Even if she had each job for only 4 months she'd have to be older. She saw the horrors of war, for goodness sake. "the prematurely tired young nurse with pale features and a scattering of gray hair" is more like it!

Besides... why were people still dumb enough to hire her? The chick obviously couldn't keep a job!

Still I love them. Student days, the best. (except for crazy Lex)

[llg, PhD, RN]

llg wrote,

"When I was a senior in college, I got a copy of "Cherry Ames, Student Nurse." We all had a good laugh over it. But I LOVED one line in the book that still rings true to me today. It said:

"A nurse will never stand when she can sit ... and will never sit when she can lie down."

I must be missing my editor's work today, because I have to be picky and point out that the actual quote is in SUE BARTON, SENIOR NURSE and reads:

"Nurses seldom stand when they can sit, or sit when they can lie down."

And it's fitting that it should be the Sue Barton book with the nifty quote, since the Sue Barton books were written by an actual nurse, the truly interesting Helen Dore Boylston, graduate of Mass General Hospital's school of nursing.

I liked the Cherry Ames books as a kid, but I was devoted to Sue Barton books!

Dina

I think it the same quote was in the Cherry Ames book, too -- because I am pretty sure I never read any Sue Barton's books. In fact, I don't remember ever hearing of Sue Barton. I do remember reading that some of those types of books wer written by the same person (sometimes under pseudonyms, etc.). Perhaps the same author used the same quote in 2 different books.

Edit: I just checked. Both books were written by women named Helen (but different last names). I wonder if it was the same author.

[Zombi RN]

I adore the Cherry Ames books. My favourite are the ones where she is in the Army Nurse Corps, though.