Review  "A truly amazing experience in a truly amazing book. Not only do we hear what it is like to be a nurse but we can almost feel what the person has been through as we glimpse at the shoes that take them on their daily rounds. No other nursing-related book provides such a visceral experience." — Allen Klein, Author of The Healing Power of Humor and The Courage to Laugh "Caring, the essence of nursing is celebrated in this collection of the experiences of the unsung heroes of health care. The powerful impact of the blending of physical and social sciences with compassion and commitment is vividly demonstrated by 'walking in the shoes' of nurses as they silently make a profound difference in the lives they touch every day."— Judith Lloyd Storfjell, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor & Associate Dean, Executive Director, Institute for Healthcare Innovation College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago "To walk in the shoes of a nurse, as this wonderful and inspiring book invites us, is to take an intimate journey into the mysteries of life." — Paul Costello, Author of The Presidential Plot: A Narrative Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Election, Founding Director of the Center for Narrative Studies, Washington DC, and Director of the Narrative Project at the Center for the Study of Values and Culture, Catholic University of America. "These shoes and the stories of their owners help us…find a way into the hidden and forgotten stories of nursing and why it matters. The telling of these stories will help nurses value themselves and each other more and will reaffirm for us that we are privileged to be served by them." — Victoria Ward, Founder and Partner, Sparknow "These stories reaffirm the work of nurses, create self esteem for the worth of the work nurses do, and most nurses will come to the realization that they perform heroic acts when they care for patients. These stories of today will become the history of tomorrow and the wisdom for the future." — Carolyn Hope Smeltzer, RN, EdD, FAAN, Editor/Author with Frances R. Vlasses, RN, PhD of Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives: The Stories of Nurses, and Chicago's Nurse Parade. Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Board Member, Advocate Health Care, Illinois, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, Kansas, and Council of Regents Loyola University Chicago. "Everyone will love the different personalities and variety of stories in this book whether they are healthcare professionals or not. And if you ever are looking for a great gift for a nurse, this is it. Don't put off reading this - it will give you a whole new appreciation for a wonderful, humble, heroic group of people - nurses." — Rita Emmett, Author of The Procrastinator's Handbook, Manage Your Time to Reduce Your Stress: A Handbook for the Overworked, Overscheduled, and Overwhelmed, and The Clutter-Busting Handbook "Heroic Acts in Humble Shoes is the apt title for this collection of powerful stories. Unlike statistics, stories are about sharing lived experience; they not only stimulate their audience intellectually but also touch their hearts. This opens up the possibility for a different quality of conversation with much deeper engagement between stakeholders - which in turn makes it more likely for genuine, positive change to happen." — Christopher Heimann, Improvisation Teacher at Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London Communications Consultant "It can be used as a springboard for discussion about the future of nursing and the future of healthcare in this country. This is a wonderful book with stories of trials and tribulations, joy and happiness, and sometimes controversial dialogue. There is a story for every reader.” — Vicki Ann Moss, DNSc, MS, BSN, RN, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Doody Enterprises, Inc. Read more
S**.
Great read for anyone interested in good stories about real lives
I love the format of this book! The author uses questions to interview nurses and presents their stories one at a time. One does not have to be a nurse or even know a nurse to appreciate this book. There are stories about how and why those who were interviewed chose the type of education they did...what their parents wanted them to be or do, being encouraged by a colleague who was a fireman, how a desire to be a teacher blossomed into a career as a rehab nurse teaching people how to adapt to new circumstances...and the stories go on.The stories are just as brief or just as long as they need to be to make some very succinct observations about life. I like the book because I can pick up and read a story or two that will give me enough to think about for days. Some times the story is about the nurse...her research, her memorable career moments, but the nurses cannot tell their stories without telling about their patients. We are all here in this book in some capacity. There is something to relate to in each story, either as the parent or friend encouraging a child into a particular career, or from the perspective of a patient, or a family member, or as a manager, an officer in the US armed forces.These are great little stories that illuminate so many intense life experiences in such a thoughtful provocative way. Sometimes the stories make me sad, because of the work related to social injustice, how the poor suffer for basic health care, how some patients are patients because of actions of other humans, either intentional or not, but Irene has a real gift for telling a story. She surfaces serious topics in a way that causes us to think differently, just by helping some to tell their own story...no preaching...no agenda...just stories as gifts that cause us to think about our world and the choices we make everyday about how we live and how what we do impacts others.This would make a beautiful gift for someone thinking about going into caring work....but it is good gift for anyone interested in people, their motivations, outcomes and reflections.
G**T
Helps out alot!
I am using this book for reference to my first paper in graduate school. The concept is "humble nurses". I hope it gets me an "A". Erika
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