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Entertaining and inspiring, the eight non-fiction books below are recommended not only for nurses but also for anyone working in the healthcare industry.
Real life accounts are stored in these books, depicting various angles of the Nursing profession. The stories are brimming with courage, hope, love, determination and other great human characteristics that help shape and improve the lives of others.
Here are 8 of the best Nursing nonfiction books you must read before you die:
Oh Sh*t, I Almost Killed You! A Little Book of Big Things Nursing School Forgot to Teach You
As the name suggests, this is a humorous lookback at the author’s experiences as a nurse. It’s not a textbook and it’s not a step-by-step practical guide on how to be a nurse. It is Nurse Sonja’s spunky and funny retelling of her early experiences as a nurse. She shares, for example, how she found that she will never forget the first patient that died on her and also her first code.
These are universal experiences for nurses but the Oh Sh*t, I Almost Killed You! book has given hope to new nurses especially those who are struggling or questioning their career choices. Definitely check this book out if you want a light-hearted read that delves into the realities of being a real nurse in the real world.
The Language of Kindness: A Nurse’s Story
Nurse Christie Watson is a gifted nurse and an equally gifted writer. Her 20 years as a nurse have given her the experiences and wisdom to write about her unforgettable experiences and patients.
Many nurses may write about their profession but very, very few can write as well as Nurse Watson. Her writing and her stories will touch your heart and will haunt your thoughts for many a days or weeks after. The Language of Kindness is a rare gem.
Ready those tissues!
I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out: True Stories of Becoming a Nurse
Not all nurses see themselves in the same light. There are nurses who question their own abilities to care for others and there are nurses who felt that their career changed their lives dramatically. The I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out: True Stories of Becoming a Nurse openly shares a collection of narratives of nurses that’ll give you a glimpse of their lives as healthcare providers.
The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients’ Lives
“An engrossing human drama . . . The Shift is one nurse’s story, but it contains elements of every nurse’s experience.” – The Wall Street Journal
If you like suspense and drama in your movies, then you will enjoy The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients’ Lives. And unlike your favorite Netflix suspense movies, this book documents real happenings in a real nurse’s actual shift. Nurse Theresa Brown is also a New York Times columnist so the writing is excellent and riveting.
From touching to bizarre, this is a highly recommend read for both new and veteran nurses.
Becoming Nursey: From Code Blues to Code Browns, How to Care for Your Patients and Yourself
“Get ready – it’s about to get real, real nursey.”
Nurse Kati Kleber shares her experiences to help guide nursing students and those who are about to embark in their journey as nursing professionals. She talks about how to live life as a nurse at work while keeping your sanity at home and away from the workplace. She discusses the realities of nursing school, talking to doctors, dealing with patients, managing mistakes, and surviving your first code.
The Becoming Nursey is a short read that new nurses can learn from. If you are put off by mentions of God and religion though, you might want to give this a pass.
A Nurse’s Story by Tilda Shalof
The A Nurse’s Story by Tilda Shalof recounts the real events inside an ICU unit. Tilda Shalof is an expert ICU nurse and has made a lot of speaking engagements around the globe. In the Nurse’s Story, she narrated the remarkable lives of her fellow nurses who are very passionate, sometimes unforgiving, juggling workloads for patients with various needs and extending emotional support to those who are terminally ill.
Intensive Care: The Story of a Nurse by Echo Heron
Echo Heron has spent years working as a nurse in intensive care units and emergency rooms. She was fired after publishing this book as it explores the realities of being a nurse under a harsh hospital administration. Intensive Care: The Story of a Nurse by Echo Heron recounts Heron’s life from being a nursing student to becoming a full- time nurse in critical care units.
Confessions of a Trauma Junkie: My Life as a Nurse Paramedic, 2nd Edition
If you are a new nurse wanting to know more about life as a paramedic, a correctional nurse, a trauma nurse, or an EMS worker, then this book by Nurse Sherry Jones is a good place to start. She shares her real life experiences in vivid firsthand detail that gives voice to what emergency service workers and first responders go through on the daily.
Anybody who reads this Confessions of a Trauma Junkie book will surely gain a new appreciation for the people in these professions.
You can check for more inspirational books written by nurses online. Hope you find this list inspirational and could be worth your time. Buy a copy now and enjoy!
