The Nurses

by Alexandra Robbins

c.2015, Workman; $24.95 / $33.95 Canada; 360 pages

Your favorite medical drama just did the unthinkable.

They killed off the character everyone loved best, and you almost feel betrayed. You enjoyed watching what happened every week, loved seeing drama unfold and getting immersed in the story line. Not anymore.

Still, TV is not always reality, you know. He might not be dead, and hospitals don’t run like that anyway, as you’ll see in The Nurses by Alexandra Robbins.

Imagine a job where lifting approximately two tons in an eight-hour shift is a requirement, where squabbles and sexual harassment are common, and appreciation is often rare. You might work all day without eating and without restroom breaks, and your life could be in some degree of danger at all times.

Welcome to nursing.

With this description in mind and wanting to know more about the medical personnel who know you better than your doctor does, Alexandra Robbins interviewed hundreds of nurses in North America and overseas. She also shadowed four nurses working at various hospitals in an unnamed major American city.  

There was soft-spoken Molly, who understood that nurses sometimes get the short shrift in hospital budgets, an issue that irked her at a time when she had more important things on her mind. Sam, a first-year nurse, needed every ounce of self-confidence to fight undeserved gossip from peers who didn’t understand her quiet personality or her focus. Juliette hated the lack of support and acceptance within her workplace, and when she learned of a supervisor’s unprofessionalism, she realized that it was time to make a move. And there was Lara, who gave in to workplace temptation and subsequently battled drug addiction. Few colleagues knew of her past or of her recovery, but when an injury required surgery and pain-killers, Lara wasn’t sure she had the strength to fight her demons again.

In following these four women at work, Robbins learned of egotism, violence, and bullying they endure from patients and co-workers. She also examines why nurses get “crisp.” Yes, her interviewees admitted, medical personnel talk about patients, but it’s not personal. Yes, there are things that nurses wish they could tell you. And no, it’s not easy work but most truly love nursing.

Those of you who are (or are related to) nurses are nodding your heads, aren’t you?  Yep, you know the truth. Author Alexandra Robbins’ subjects don’t gloss over anything here; in fact, The Nurses is exciting and honest, from admission to release.

But personal stories aren’t the entire reason to read this book. Robbins also busts myths, shows the inner workings of Emergency Rooms, offers golden advice, and she explains behind-the-scenes events and why nurses deserve way more kudos than they get. That nicely balances the inherent drama in the four personal stories, though it might make patients outraged.

I can see this book for nurses,  but it’s also something to read if you’re thinking of nursing school or if you might need medical care anytime soon. The Nurses contains good stories, but it’s also helpful.

Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri is a professional book reviewer who has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book.