most enjoyable nursing books for pleasure / films

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Specializes in aged, palliative care, cardiac, agency,.

I have wanted to start this thread for ages now. Am sure that if I checked the archives it would be there, but too bad!

I love to read and would like to hear from other readers as to their best nursing book - not the factual text books 'cos I'm sure we're all drowning in those! I mean those books that touched you in some way, made you laugh, taught you something about nursing in other times or circumstances.

For instance, although they may be old and a bit dated, I have enjoyed the following:

"One pair of feet" by Monica Dickens

"White Coolies" by Betty Jeffrey (WW2 military nursing true POW story)

"A lamp is heavy" by Sheila Mackay Russell

"Behind the veil" by Linda Laube

What about the 'Cherry Ames' stories by Helen Wells? I havent read any but I hear they're classics!

Or "Hospital by the river" by Catherine Hamlin (this just sneaks in as a nursing story - not really, but a good book none the less)

And then there's films. I cant really think of any 'nursing' films (except for horrible old Carry on...whatever) although I'm sure they are out there.

Any ideas??

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Specializes in LTC/SNF, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical.

"Girl, Interrupted". I read both Susanna Kaysen's book and watched the movie when I was doing psychiatric nurse clinicals.

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Specializes in oncology, trauma, home health.

The Outlander series... (I hate to admit that) but it's a great read once you get into it..

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Specializes in aged, palliative care, cardiac, agency,.
The Outlander series... (I hate to admit that) but it's a great read once you get into it..

I dont know this series. I guess some of our greatest reading pleasures are a bit like guilty secrets. Who cares??

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Specializes in ICU and EMS.

Echo Herron has written many great nursing novels. She hits all the nails on the head-- short staffing, cliques, burn-out, needy patients/families, friendships, joys, job satisfaction... She has been my beach reading for the last several vacations!

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Danielle Steel's "His bright light" it's her only non-romance book, its about her sons struggle with bi-polar disorder, I suppose its not really a nursing book, but I really enjoyed it, and she was educated on the subject.

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Specializes in oncology, trauma, home health.
I dont know this series. I guess some of our greatest reading pleasures are a bit like guilty secrets. Who cares??

So many nurses I worked with LOVED this book. I stumbled upon it in a thrift shop and it took me a year to get through the first 150 pages or so. Then it happened! BAM! That, "I can't wait to get home and read this book" feeling. It is so corny, but so good. Another good book is "A Nurse's Story" written in the 70's and the reason I wanted to become a nurse at 10 (I swiped it from my mom and read it, knowing I shouldn't!)

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about the school - mrs. reynolds needs a nurse

hi

this is a film online that is classic and a really good insight to patient care. click on watch the film to veiw, no it is not short, but so worth the time.

lcg

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Specializes in Community, Renal, OR.

Hi,

My favourite nurse film is "The English Patient", and my favourite nurse author is Evelyn Prentis. You can still find her books on Abebooks http://www.abebooks.co.uk/

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Specializes in Psych.

Just for fun...check out the film "Nurse Betty" starring Renee Zellweger as the title character.

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Tilda Shalof has written 2 GREAT books!! She is an ICU nurse in Canada. It talks a lot about her job and life, and it is entertaining. I love them SO much and would definitely suggest them to any and every nurse.

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The Outlander series... (I hate to admit that) but it's a great read once you get into it..

I loved this series the first time I read it. I read it in high school, before I decided to become a nurse. The sixth book just came out and I'm re-reading the entire series before the last one. I would recommend this series too.

It was suggested to read "Bed number 10" by Sue Baier and Mary Zimmeth Schomaker before I started the nursing program. Its about this woman who comes down with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Its from her point of view.

Ironically about 2 months into my program, my grandfather developed Guillain Barre syndrome.

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