Critical Care: Critical Care: A New Nurse Faces Death, Life, and Everything in Between – A Moving Oncology Memoir of Medicine and Patient Comfort

This is the well-written and gripping story of the author's first year in her new career as a nurse on an oncology hospital floor. Brown came to nursing after leaving the fairly pampered life of an English professor, and I found myself admiring her courage in making such a drastic career change. I've read a lot of medical memoirs written from the perspectives of doctors and patients; this is the first nurse's memoir I've read. I found myself appreciating the nursing perspective a great deal; as Brown makes abundantly clear, the vast majority of hands-on patient care in hospitals is delivered by nurses, not M.D.s, most of whom in Brown's book remain rather shadowy figures that she is always having to track down to obtain permission to do what she already knows is right for her patients.Because Brown works on an oncology unit, there are not a lot of cheery stories of miraculous recoveries to be found in the pages of this memoir. Many of her patients will and do ultimately relapse; some of them die during the year that this book covers. Brown makes an excellent case for the need to improve how the medical establishment deals with patients and families on end-of-life issues. Probably the most emotionally powerful sections of the book are those involving Brown's feelings of helplessness as it becomes clear that a patient is very near the end of life and the difficulties inherent in talking with the patient and family members about their preferences for aggressive treatment at this stage. If you have not had such conversations regarding DNR orders and health proxies with your loved ones before reading this book, you'll definitely be inspired to do so after.Equally powerful and illuminating are the sections of the book where Brown describes how she is able to cope with the knowledge that so many of her patients will not get better and in fact will die prematurely: She focuses on the moment and the fact that, while she and medicine may not be able to save a particular patient's life, she CAN work to make this a better day for them right now--and maybe that's enough.Brown doesn't mince words when it comes to describing some of the less pleasant aspects of nursing (I had no idea that doctors would even contemplate performing a poop transplant [!!], as they considered in one example of intractable diarrhea). While that sort of detail made it clear to me that I would never be cut out to be a nurse myself, simply reading about Brown's matter-of-fact acceptance that taking care of sick people will involve messy stuff like blood and poop--and that it is no big deal at all for her and her colleagues--will probably make any future hospital stays I endure a lot less embarrassing for me.Brown also does a good job of explaining just what it is that nurses do all day and why they may not be available to answer your every push of the call button within 60 seconds. It's exhausting, physically demanding work, and anybody who anticipates being in a hospital at any point of their lives (which, face it, is just about all of us) should be eternally grateful that there are dedicated professionals like Brown who are willing to endure the stress and burn-out of nursing because they care about people.One of the sections of the book that resonated the most with me was the epilogue, where Brown talks about the lesson that SHE has learned from her patients: Life is fragile. We are every one of us vulnerable, and every day is a wonderful gift. She relates the anecdote of her husband indulging a mid-life impulse to buy the grand piano he had long dreamed of, a decision that brought him "a joy like nothing else in his life." She ends her book with words that we would all do well to heed: "People say, why wait? But really they should say, don't wait. Listen when you can, tell the people in your life you love them, and buy the piano."

Critical Care by Theresa Brown was a very well-written book about being a nurse in oncology units in Pittsburg. Yes there were many sad parts, but it was also uplifting in many ways. I've read a lot of books written by medical professionals, and too many of them were whiney sob stories about how hard it is to work in this field and how terrible and demanding some patients can be. Thankfully this book was not that. The author truly loves her work and deeply cares about the people in her care. How refreshing! The book is factual about how frustrating the many rules and regs of working in a hospital can be, but it's not whiney. I enjoyed the book even though it was heart-breaking to hear about the patient's battles with this horrible disease. Cancer sucks! But this author/nurse rocks.

Theresa Brown's book "Critical Care" has been excerpted in the New York Times Health and Wellness section, which is where I first read about the book. Brown, a college-English-professor-turned-oncology-nurse, combines her two areas of expertise in a book about her first year as a nurse. She's an excellent writer with an interesting story to tell.As another reviewer here noted, nurses are the unsung heroes of the medical world. They do the grunt work, the unceasing care of patients, and are often the first, and last, contact a patient has with a hospital. Brown, because she works in the oncology department at a Pittsburgh-area hospital, has seen, and participated in, the ups and downs of cancer treatment. What doesn't kill cancer patients often ends up saving them, or at least putting them into remission, but the effects of chemotherapy are often as bad as the disease itself. How many cancer patients ask themselves in the midst of horrifying treatment if the possible cure is worth the agonies of the treatment?Brown does not make any statements about the worthiness of treatment, she assumes her readers would be able enough to make a decision if faced with a cancer diagnosis.Brown also writes about the personal toll cancer treatment and possible death of patients have on the nursing/doctor staff. Some medical staff are able to distance themselves from the pain they see around them, while others can't. Brown writes that identifying with her patients - showing her "human side" - was a good method she chose to use when dealing with treating cancer patients.Theresa Brown's book seems to be an honest appraisal of her first year in nursing. She's a very good writer and her story, while often offering a discouraging look at cancer treatment and care, is well worth reading.

Depicts the life of an RN well! I read it because I work in healthcare and I think it is helpful to understand the RN world.

"Critical Care: A New Nurse Faces Death, Life, and Everything in Between" is one of the best books for new nurses I have ever come across. I have been a nurse for almost 3 years but struggled to find a job out of college and have only been working for a little over a year. I still consider myself a "new nurse", even though I have a little bit of experience. I can't believe it took me so long to find and read this book! Theresa Brown's words are so honest and real, beautifully written, funny at times, sad at times... I found myself laughing, crying, nodding my head in agreement, remembering similar situations I've found myself in, etc. Any nurse can relate to the situations in this book! It reminded me why I became a nurse and it made me thankful to know that there are other nurses out there who became nurses for the same reasons I did. If I was ever sick, I'd want Theresa Brown to be taking care of me! This is a must-read.

Interesting book

Pristine condition, brand new ! Even came with plastic wrap around it to maintain condition and in a bubble wrap envelope ! Thank you !

Such an accurate and honest heartfelt account of nursing. I job i truly love. Anyone entering the profession should read. Thank you Theresa.

Love books like this. Will be buying again from this seller.Well done