A Nurse's Story: Life, Death and In-Between in an Intensive Care Unit

This was a very good book about life as an ICU nurse. It many stories funny, sad, and everything in between. Many of the hardships felt by nurses and especially the emotional strain of dealing with the the death and suffering that these people face, but also the stories of the recoveries. I enjoyed it and had a hard time putting it down.

I have read many books written by doctors and nurses about their experiences and this one is definitely the best I have ever read. Not only is Tilda and incredible nurse but she's an incredible writer. I can speak from experience, not as a nurse but as a patient. I have had six neurosurgeries, 2 of which required short stays in the ICU. I went through hell with every surgery and I learned that nurses can have a huge influence on how you feel both physically and emotionally. Throughout these surgeries, I had a wide range of nurses. At the top were the nurses who were wonderful. They sometimes went above and beyond what they absolutely had to do. A couple of them even managed to bring a smile to my face when I was feeling so sick that I wanted to die. In the middle were the nurses who were kind and caring but didn't necessarily do anything special that set them apart from the rest. At the bottom were the nurses who showed very little empathy and didn't do a thing to help me through the trauma I was going through. I had a couple of nurses who were downright cold and even mean to me. By reading this book, I can tell that Tilda, along with some of the other nurses she talks about, would definitely have been at the top of that list. So, Tilda, if you are reading this, we need more nurses like you! This is a great book for anyone, whether they are in the medical profession, have been a patient themselves, or are simply interested in reading about this sort of thing. It was like reading a novel that you just can't put down. Definitely a 5 star book!

I was in the hospital a lot as a teen, for numerous surgeries on my lungs, and I developed an interest in medical non-fiction as a way of understanding the emotionally complicated world of medicine. I have read about twenty non-fiction books by doctors, nurses, interns, and others involved in the field, and Shalof's really stands out from the rest. For one thing, nurses put in more time with each patient than doctors and surgeons do, so there is an emotional minefield ready to be explored. Shalof writes with such direct and unmistakeable honesty about her conflicting emotions in different situations, her thoughts and opinions about each patient's journey in the system, and in a broader sense with the incredibly frustrating and at the same time very gratifying field of nursing. She brings up fascinating insights that the other books I have read didn't touch on, and the writing is so accessible and personal that I couldn't wait to get back to this book when I put it down. I am really hoping for more from Shalof, because her writing is both beautiful and refreshingly frank.

Well written, with humour and compassion. I work on a Medical unit and Step-Down Unit, in a downtown Toronto Hospital (across from the writers') and can strongly relate to her experiences. Excellent read - she voices very well so much that I have felt and seen in my own experience.

Initially purchased title, recommended by a collogue, to augment my clinical research on our medical care crisis, shortage and inadequacy of nursing care, high prescription costs, etc., here in Maine, vis a vis our Northern neighbors. Was hoping to find Ms. Shalof's work informative; but very pleasantly surprised to find it so very engrossing and moving, as well. Must've feared receiving a dry recitation of facts and figures, with a few bare-bones character sketches sprinkled in. Hardly the case, fortunately. Quite detail-rich and filled with a myriad of fascinating characters, both care givers and patients. Confess I finished it, and it's not slim by any means, in 48 hours (my Inbox is now suffering for it!). Must note, Tilda's work personalized the sometimes heroic challenges high-pressure, medical care practioners struggle with, particularly ICU; at the same time it opened a fascinating window on patient perspective I suspect could not've seen otherwise. Insight on quality of care issues, as well as the "essence" of the nursing experience, will certainly inform my project recommendations. Personally, intrigued by the Canadian nursing perspective -- which, as it turns out (least for this nurse) is not so unlike the best of ours here in the states. Finally, must comment: top-notch writing! Don't usually lavish praise, but having just finished (for recreation) Hemingway's "Farewell to Arms," I found the unadonred, yet touching directness of her prose, esp. for a first-time author, to've stood up well; in particular, reminiscent of the emotional impact of Hemingway's Catherine in Childbirth scene. Must confess, found as entertaining as P.D. James' "Shroud for a Nightingale," too. Read this book! Won't disappoint on any level. Felt as almost knew author at end -- surely hope to see more from her -- and somehow witnessed her struggles and epiphanies, too. Not crossing the border anytime soon, but wouldn't mind shaking Tilda's hand (unless she'd just completed some messy, hands-on, life saving medical procedure, of course).