most enjoyable nursing books for pleasure / films

Published

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??

Specializes in Acute care, Community Med, SANE, ASC.

I have enjoyed the Chicken Soup for the Nurse's soul books--there are currently two. Full of short stories that remind me why I do this job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical, Paeds, Ob gyn, NICU.

I have just finished reading "Sick to Death" by Hedley Thomas. It is the story of Dr Jayant Patel and is fascinating and sickening reading.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, Peds, Med-Surg.

I "echo" what everyone says about Echo Heron's books! (VERY cool story about your son and the email!!!) I would LOVE to see the documentary on Vietnam nurses---I wonder if that's rentable through that email DVD rental site( can't think of the name right now?)

Have any of you been to the Vietnam Nurse's Memorial in Washington, DC? Very moving! I would also like to check out this "Outlander" series, and have always wanted to read the Cherry Ames books

I also just BARELY remember watching "Julia"---does anyone remember that? It starred Dianne Carroll----she was a single nurse with a child---VERY rare subject in the sixties!

3 books I've read, found on "amazon"....

"Notes on Nursing---what it is and what it is not" by Florence Nightengale---very cool!

ISBN 0-486-22340-X

"Our Army Nurses---stories from women in the Civil War" --Mary Gardner Holland

ISBN 1-889020-04-4

"Chicago's Nurse Parade"---Carolyn Hope Smeltzer......LOVE all the photos and the story of this cool parade that was held annually from 1949-1958, but I was disappointed that it is mainly photos.....I wanted more stories!

ISBN 0-7385-3367-X

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.

Wow, I checked out the Cherry Ames books and they look wonderful! :redpinkhe Just so everyone knows, you can get boxed sets of them on Amazon.com. Thanks for the recommendations everyone, I can't wait to read the Cherry Ames and Outlander series'. I'll also be checking out the Echo Herron books. Thanks for the awesome thread! :yeah:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in aged, palliative care, cardiac, agency,.

I also just BARELY remember watching "Julia"---does anyone remember that? It starred Dianne Carroll----she was a single nurse with a child---VERY rare subject in the sixties!

"Notes on Nursing---what it is and what it is not" by Florence Nightengale---very cool!

ISBN 0-486-22340-X

"Our Army Nurses---stories from women in the Civil War" --Mary Gardner Holland

ISBN 1-889020-04-4

"Chicago's Nurse Parade"---Carolyn Hope Smeltzer......LOVE all the photos and the story of this cool parade that was held annually from 1949-1958, but I was disappointed that it is mainly photos.....I wanted more stories!

ISBN 0-7385-3367-X

YES I do remember Julia - hadnt thought about that programme in years. She was a gorgeous African American young single mum with a child who somehow managed to always be kind and compassionate regardless of what situation was dreamed up for her that episode. I can still see her beautiful smile under that white hat!

As for the books -thanks for the tips. Keep them coming.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

Trauma Junkie by Janice Hudson is a really good read about an emergency flight nurse.

Two books I highly recommend that are medically based, although not particularly about nursing, are Bitten by Dr. Pamela Nagami (an Infectious Disease specialist) and A Woman in Residence by Dr. Michelle Harrison.

Bitten describes many different disease processes caused by bites. Everything from rabies to African Sleeping Sickness, with great case stories. A Woman in Residence is an old book that Dr. Harrison, a feminist, wrote while trying to specialize in OB/GYN and observing the way women were treated by the medical system.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
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.

I've read her A Nurse's Story...so good. What was really interesting for me was that I read this book the summer before I started nursing school and just got done reading it now after my first year of the program....super good.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I've read her A Nurse's Story...so good. What was really interesting for me was that I read this book the summer before I started nursing school and just got done reading it now after my first year of the program....super good.

Maybe because she's Canadian so few people have heard of her, but her books are great!! I AM SERIOUS- YOU ALL WOULD REALLY LOVE THEM! YOU SHOULD READ THEM! YOU'RE MISSING OUT OTHERWISE! :specs:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB.

I've recommended this one in other threads on this topic in the past: "The Healer's War" by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. It's a fiction she based on her personal experiences as an Army nurse in Viet Nam during the war - a fascinating read!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hello:

Just finished reading "Home before morning" The story of an Army Nurse in Vietnam by Lynda Van Devanter. She wrote this book as a form of therapy in 1979. I found it to be fabulous and a very easy read. The series "China Beach" is based on her time in Vietnam. Try googling her name also... She was an amazing women. Helping vets etc...... ENJOY!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

ms. van devanter's memoir was ''home before morning'' (beaufort books, 1983), which helped inspire the television series ''china beach.'' in it, she wrote of her transformation in 1969 from ''an all-american girl'' and idealistic supporter of the war into an overworked, confused nurse at the 71st evacuation hospital in pleiku, where the gore and horrors of war were constantly before her.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9c01efd71339f930a15752c1a9649c8b63

what an interesting book. i'm going to put this one on my list.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I really liked "ICU: The Story of a Nurse" by Echo Heron, as well as her other book "Tending Lives: Nurses On The Medical Front". I'm looking into expanding my nursing books for pleasure collection :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion