The House of God

Published

who here has read 'the house of god' by samuel shem? i had it in my drawer for over 2 yrs and decided to read it not too long ago. really incredible book w/ a lot of validity regarding today's current healthcare state, despite being written in the 70s. please share your thoughts. i really relate to the fat man's approach to medicine, do as little as possible. sometimes i feel the more we (RNs, Mds) do, the worse the pt's outcome and more complications that result.

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Specializes in MICU/SICU.

I've read that book twice before starting nursing school, it was actually given to me by a local Dr. who I'm friends with. I think I read it once during nursing school when I had the time. Now I actually just bought the book for my best friend who is finishing up his first semester of medical school for chirstmas. Working as an aide thru nursing school I've learned that gomers actually do go to ground, and I have the gomer scale hanging in my locker as a little pick-me-up.

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Specializes in psych,maternity, ltc, clinic.

My sister, who was a respiratoy therapist, gave it to me the Christmas before I started nursing school. I read the whole thing on the plane ride home. It cracked me up. I wonder how I'd like it now....Think I'll make a stop at the library. It was definitely a 70's...pre AIDS , novel...residents having casual sex in the storeroom with social workers to get nursing home placement for their gomers.:) I worked in plenty of hospitals, starting in the 90's and if that was going on, i was sure unaware of it;). But yeah, I would like to remind myself of the fatmans theorys.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

I read it years ago and had some laughs. I don't remember much, but I do remember it's definitely not a politically correct read.

I remember "gomers" and "going to ground." Just "young enough to die" and "bowel runs of the stars" etc.

It's focused on MDs, residents, med students and not nursing. If anything, it gives you a glimpse into the pain residents and med students have to bear in their education.

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Specializes in CVICU.

My mom recently read this book and then gave it to me. I loved it! I read it in about a day because it was so good and most of the things in it still hold true today. When I was reading it, we had a lot of "gomers" on our floor and I was getting frustrated with having to care for them. By "caring for them" I mean prolonging their lives with ventilators, SLED, pressors, etc. They all had multiple wounds, were in pain, incoherent, mouthing "let me die" etc.

I was really getting upset having to take care of a particular pair of "gomers" back in September. Both of them needed and wanted to go to the "10th floor" but their families would not let them go. Thankfully, I had to have ankle surgery during the height of my frustration, and one of them was finally made a DNR and passed away shortly after, and the other one went back to the VA where I hear he is still alive ans suffering :o

In the book a "gomer" is someone that survives through everything but the more treatments you do to them, the worse off they get. We occasionally get these patients in the ICU who seem to have 9 lives and/or their family doesn't want to let go and prolongs their suffering. It was funny to see that even 30 years ago some of the same stupid and frustrating things were occurring!

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never read it but i work at the hospital its about.

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Specializes in Too many to list.

I loved that book. Lost my copy somewhere so maybe I'll

order another used one online. Thanks for the reminder of

of a really great read.

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I absolutely love the book, and read it when it first came out, and then several times since starting nursing school, graduating, working, etc.

So, I thought my book club might like it. THEY HATED IT with a passion. Obviously, one has to work in the medical field to appreciate the gomers, "turfing" to other services, "buffing" the chart, and the craziness of the hospital (Roodle roodle).

I think I may get it out and read it again!

Oldiebutgoodie

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Specializes in Pediatric Psychiatry, Home Health VNA.

I really it now and then for a pick-me-up. One of my favorite books ever.

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The House of God was the one hospital I missed when I worked in Boston. However, the book was great for teaching a neophyte nurse the terminology, all of which is still in usage country wide.

Funnier still were the first couple of seasons of "ER," when I'd look at one of the insane little vignettes in the show and recognize the event and recall which hospital it occurred at, like the giant getting up with the gurney strapped to his back and charging down the ER work lane. Oh, yeah.

I'd recommend "The House of God" to all students and new grads for the vocabulary, alone, but the issues surrounding staffing and treatment, especially of the elderly, are still very pertinent.

Students might as well know what they're getting into, you know.

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Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Hospice,IV Therapy.

I suddenly remembered "The Serum Porcelain Level"!!

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I've read it.

I think it was an OK read, but not a great one- the kind of book worth a borrow from the library, but not worth buying. It didn't age well.

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