“Compelling and compassionate human drama. If you want to understand how modern medicine ticks, fasten your seat belt and spend a day in the hospital with Theresa Brown on The Shift.” –Danielle Ofri, MD, author of What Doctors Feel In a book as eye-opening as it is riveting, practicing nurse and regular contributor to the New York Times Theresa Brown invites us to experience not just a day … invites us to experience not just a day in the life of a nurse but all the life that happens in just one day on a busy teaching hospital’s cancer ward. In the span of twelve hours, lives can be lost, life-altering treatment decisions made, and dreams fulfilled or irrevocably stolen. Every day, Theresa Brown holds these lives in her hands. On this day, there are four.
Unfolding in real time under the watchful eyes of Theresa Brown–a dedicated nurse and an insightful chronicler of events–we are given an unprecedented view into the individual struggles as well as the larger truths about medicine in this country. By shift’s end, we have witnessed something profound about hope and humanity.
“This meticulous, absorbing shift-in-the-life account of one nurse’s day on a cancer ward stands out for its honesty, clarity, and heart. Brown . . . juggles the fears, hopes, and realities of a 12-hour shift in a typical urban hospital with remarkable insight and unflagging care. Her memoir is a must-read for nurses or anyone close to one.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“An empathetic and absorbing narrative as riveting as a TV drama.” –Kirkus Reviews
“I am filled with awe and gratitude for the work that the nurses like Theresa Brown do every day. She captures perfectly their central role in any patient’s life!” –Susan M. Love, MD, chief visionary officer, Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, and author of Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book
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An eye opening look at a nurse’s 12 hour shift at the oncology department. I enjoyed her honesty and her writing style. If you enjoy this type of book I recommend you read The Shift.
The Shift is a beautifully written rendering of an oncology nurse’s compact of care. I was unsurprised to read that the author is not only an RN but a Ph.D. in English. The scope of the book, one 12-hour nursing shift, makes it both compact and action-packed; and the spectrum of activity and emotion those 12 hours contain is examined with exceptional detail and emotional authenticity.
Beautiful insight as to what nurses go through on a daily basis.
This is a wonderful book about the day in the life of an ICU nurse. After reading this book you will realize just how hard these nurses work, their emotional attachments to patients and how a system that should make things easier, takes precious time away from patients.
This book was amazing.It not only was informative, but showed the empathy
and compassion that nurses have. It also showed how we as nurses must keep up
with the continual advances in medicine. Wow! Kudos to the author. Well done!
Easy to read. Book is not too long. Nurse explains in detail all that goes on during one 12 hour shift taking care of numerous patients. Eye opening
I enjoyed this book which is the story of a nurse on an oncology ward.
I found this book very informative about cancer. I think we all no someone dealing with fighting some type of cancer. As a non medical person it helped me understand some of the terminology and treatment involved in treating cancer
Fairly realistic day in the life of a hospital floor nurse.
true to nursing experiences.
I was a nurse for 30 years. It was VERY FAMILIAR.
As a former oncology RN I loved this book! Brought back memories from when I worked my first hospital job years ago in Memphis when cancer treatment was still in its infancy & later as a clinical research coordinator at a free standing outpatient treatment center. Highly recommend.
So well written. You can tell she was originally an English professor.
I have always admired nurses, but her book gives you true insight into the difficulties of being a nurse.
I really enjoyed the inside look at hospital life from the eyes of the most crucial
Ingredient, the nurse.
Wow, what schedule she keeps. It’s a travesty that hospital management seems primarily concerned with the bottom line and not top flight patient care.
This book made me feel like a friend was telling me about her day. I loved her compassion for her patients. Well written and kept moving. Loved it.
Easy read and very interesting about what goes on in hospitals.
Interesting however that busy 12 hours would be light weight by some of my experiences. Would read more by this author, admire her talent with words.
A real world portrayal of life in critical care environment, a great read.
Anyone involved with hospitalization — patient, family member, etc. — should read this book to get a better understanding of the vital role of nurses in the medical process and the pressures on them. A better informed patient or patient-advocate can be a real asset to the nurse and vice versa. Fascinating reading.
Being a nurse it was like walking in another’s shoes.