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.
Has anyone ever read any of the G-rated, sweet old-fashioned romance novels by Betty Neels? The heroine is almost always a sweet, hard working nurse. Betty Neels was a nurse herself and to this day the books are still so popular that Harlequin re-releases them all the time. Alot of them are like the classic Cinderella story (which is dear to my heart too) and I have always loved them since I was very young. They are actually one of the reasons I have decided to become a nurse (there are more serious reasons too, of course!)
Harlequin also publishes a whole line of Medical-based romance novels, often with nurses as the main characters, but they aren't nearly as sweet and nice as the novels Betty Neels wrote (IMHO).
By the way what is the Outlander series about, I'm really curious now! :nuke:
I read the book "Nurse"...forgot who it's by.....before I started nursing school...although it was written in the 80s...It was still very relevant to me...
Gilbert and Lynn Morris have a series of Cheney Duvall, MD, and her faithful nurse, who is a man, Shiloh Irons. There are 8 in this series and then there is the sequel "Cheney & Shiloh" of 3 volumes, when they are married.
It is set in post Civil War. Very good historical fiction.
Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.
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.
Is she the one that recently won the academy award for that movie Michael Collins or am I crazy?
I never even knew about Cherry Ames until I was 40 years old and saw 15 of them at a thrift shoppe (books 12 for $1) so I bought them all and started reading them. I decided a few years later to go to nursing school (something I always wanted to do...long story) and now I've been a nurse for 6 years :heartbeat
I'm so glad to see other Echo Heron fans! I first read "Condition Critical" many moons ago, almost by accident, and immediately went and found "Intensive Care". Heron's books have been a huge influence on my life. I often find myself in siutations at work, and a line or two from one of her books will pop in my head...and get me through whatever I'm facing. Also besides her other fiction work, she has one called "Tending Lives", which is a beautiful, moving compilation of stories from nurses of all generations, walks of life, and fields..and stories by nurses that worked in Oklahoma City the day of the federal building bombing. My copies are old, with cracked spines and yellowed pages, and I still read them regularly. :redbeathe
Quick story...when I was accepted to nursing school, my Kiddo was bugging me one day to check my email. I was busy, but did it to get him off my back. There in the inbox, was a personal email from Echo, saying that she heard I had got in, congrats, she knew I would be great, to keep my compassion, etc...seems my son had found her email addy, and told her about me and her influence on me and asked her to write me. Seriously, I'm tearing up again just writing this. I don't know which was more stunning...having my hero congratulate me personally, or my teenage son knowing what it would mean to me to hear from her. Either way, that email is one of my most cherished possesions. Well, that and the second email from her when I passed boards that he kept hidden until we knew I passed. ( I have a great son!)
I'm so glad to see other Echo Heron fans! I first read "Condition Critical" many moons ago, almost by accident, and immediately went and found "Intensive Care". Heron's books have been a huge influence on my life. I often find myself in siutations at work, and a line or two from one of her books will pop in my head...and get me through whatever I'm facing. Also besides her other fiction work, she has one called "Tending Lives", which is a beautiful, moving compilation of stories from nurses of all generations, walks of life, and fields..and stories by nurses that worked in Oklahoma City the day of the federal building bombing. My copies are old, with cracked spines and yellowed pages, and I still read them regularly. :redbeathe
Quick story...when I was accepted to nursing school, my Kiddo was bugging me one day to check my email. I was busy, but did it to get him off my back. There in the inbox, was a personal email from Echo, saying that she heard I had got in, congrats, she knew I would be great, to keep my compassion, etc...seems my son had found her email addy, and told her about me and her influence on me and asked her to write me. Seriously, I'm tearing up again just writing this. I don't know which was more stunning...having my hero congratulate me personally, or my teenage son knowing what it would mean to me to hear from her. Either way, that email is one of my most cherished possesions. Well, that and the second email from her when I passed boards that he kept hidden until we knew I passed. ( I have a great son!)
Anyway, sorry for the derail.....
zamboni,
Your son sounds like a wonderful young man. :yeah: Congrats on raising a fine boy.
I read the book "Nurse"...forgot who it's by.....before I started nursing school...although it was written in the 80s...It was still very relevant to me...
"Nurse" is by Peggy Anderson and was actually written in 1978.
I thought it was a really interesting and easy read. I really enjoyed it.
It was funny to read because she talks about patients and nurses smoking in the building :smokin:and talks about a nurses pay at that time and about never using gloves for anything :barf01:!
:yeah: Congrats on raising a fine boy.
and about never using gloves for anything :barf01:!
hearts895, RN BSN
465 Posts
Hi!
Has anyone ever read any of the G-rated, sweet old-fashioned romance novels by Betty Neels? The heroine is almost always a sweet, hard working nurse. Betty Neels was a nurse herself and to this day the books are still so popular that Harlequin re-releases them all the time. Alot of them are like the classic Cinderella story (which is dear to my heart too) and I have always loved them since I was very young. They are actually one of the reasons I have decided to become a nurse (there are more serious reasons too, of course!)
Harlequin also publishes a whole line of Medical-based romance novels, often with nurses as the main characters, but they aren't nearly as sweet and nice as the novels Betty Neels wrote (IMHO).
By the way what is the Outlander series about, I'm really curious now! :nuke: