The Nurses

The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama, and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital by Alexandra Robbins is an eye-opening, riveting insight into the nursing profession. Although full of facts it reads like a novel and maintains an intriguing pace.
The Nurses is told through the real-life stories of four women in different hospitals. We read about these bedside heroes, who perform on a daily basis, in a world full of joy, heartbreak, violence, humor and emotional turmoil.
Nursing is among the most important professions in the world. There are few other careers in which people are so devoted to a noble purpose. Nurses are remarkable yet neglected. They are strong-willed, flawed human beings that help us to live, die and survive every day.
Readers are left better educated with healthcare and undoubtedly appreciative of the remarkable nurses who provide it.

I was awarded this ARC in return for an honest review. This is an interesting and gripping perspective into the field of nursing. Just like any other career there are highs and lows, gossip, frustration and reward. The stories were personal and likable. Suggested for those who may be interested in some insight.

The Nurses by Alexandra Robbins: A Year of Secrets, Drama, and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital Published by: Workman Publishing Co.

RATING: 4 STARS

If you know someone who is considering Nursing as a profession, give her a copy of The Nurses. Nursing is a difficult, yet rewarding profession. Alexandra Robbins follows the stories of four E.R Nurses as they navigate their daily routine working at different hospitals. One of the most important roles of a Nurse is to anticipate and prepare for any changes in their patient’s health status.

The E.R nurses discuss multiple daily problems, e.g., understaffed nurses, unsafe conditions, interpersonal problems with other disciplines, drug abuse, cliques, physical injuries and burnout. Toss in the dysfunctional behavior between Nurse Managers and staff nurses that hospitals thrive on, and this issue could be an entire book itself. The hospital’s focus is to make big profits. Although Robbins focuses on ER nurses, the same problems occur through the entire hospital. I agree with the stories Robbins documented. It’s clear she she extensively researched the problems of nurses.

I’ve been an RN and Adult Nurse Practitioner for 20+ years working across many specialties. After reading The Nurses, I’m disappointed that America’s 3 million nurses make up the largest segment of the health-care workforce in the U.S. and they don’t realize their power to fight for higher salaries and better working conditions. Nursing is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. and despite the growth, demand is outpacing supply. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1.2 million vacancies will emerge for R.N.’s between 2014 and 2022.

Other professions’s salaries increase as they gain more experience. This isn’t the case for nursing salaries. Robbins’s informational book is highly recommend it for those considering Nursing as a career, or anyone who wants to see what really goes on behind the scenes at hospitals.