cover image Just a Nurse

Just a Nurse

Janet M. Kraegel. Dutton Books, $18.95 (304pp) ISBN 978-0-525-24760-9

The nursing profession is in a state of crisis as nurses, underpaid, undervalued and overworked, the authors attest, are leaving the field in alarming numbers. In this anthology of stories told from their personal experiences, the voices of nursing professionals are heard. From every sector--burn units, cancer wards, intensive care units, hospices, in prisons and in the military--nurses, male and female, speak of the great rewards as well as the tremendous burdens of their roles. The practicing nurses throughout the country who are interviewed here include midwives, anesthetists and faith healers. We hear from those who remain idealists, those who are burnt out, those who question their transient relationships with patients. The insiders' views here give a human dimension to nursing, dispel some of its mythology and stereotyping, and open appealing vistas for those considering nursing as a career. First serial to Ladies Home Journal and R.N. magazine. (May)