The nurses : a year of secrets, drama, and miracles with the heroes of the hospital

A __New York Times__ bestseller. "A funny, intimate, and often jaw-dropping account of life behind the scenes."—__People__ __Nurses__ is the compelling story of the year in the life of four nurses, and the drama, unsung heroism, and unique sisterhood of nursing—one of the world's most important professions (nurses save lives every day), and one of the world's most dangerous, filled with violence, trauma, and PTSD. In following four nurses, Alexandra Robbins creates sympathetic characters while diving deep into their world of controlled chaos. It's a world of hazing—"nurses eat their young." Sex—not exactly like on TV, but surprising just the same. Drug abuse—disproportionately a problem among the best and the brightest, and a constant temptation. And bullying—by peers, by patients, by hospital bureaucrats, and especially by doctors, an epidemic described as lurking in the "shadowy, dark corners of our profession." ... Nursing is more than a career; it is a calling, and one of the most important, fascinating, and dangerous professions in the world. As the frontline responders battling traumas, illnesses, and aggression from surprising sources, nurses are remarkable. Yet contemporary literature largely neglects them. In THE NURSES, New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist Alexandra Robbins peers behind the staff-only door to write a lively, fast-paced story and a riveting work of investigative journalism. Robbins followed real-life nurses in four hospitals and interviewed hundreds of others in a captivating book filled with joy and violence, miracles and heartbreak, dark humor and narrow victories, gripping drama and unsung heroism. Alexandra Robbins creates sympathetic, engaging characters while diving deep into their world of controlled chaos-the hazing ("nurses eat their young"); sex (not exactly like on TV, but it happens more often than you think); painkiller addiction (disproportionately a problem among the best and brightest); and bullying (by doctors, patients, and others). The result is a page-turner possessing all the twists and turns of a brilliantly told narrative-and a shocking, unvarnished examination of our healthcare system. THE NURSES is a must-read both for the general public, who will learn hospital secrets that could save their own or a loved one's life, and for nurses, who will proudly share the book as a rallying cry for support and celebration.--Provided by publisher A New York Times bestseller. “A funny, intimate, and often jaw-dropping account of life behind the scenes.”— People Nurses is the compelling story of the year in the life of four nurses, and the drama, unsung heroism, and unique sisterhood of nursing—one of the world’s most important professions (nurses save lives every day), and one of the world’s most dangerous, filled with violence, trauma, and PTSD. In following four nurses, Alexandra Robbins creates sympathetic characters while diving deep into their world of controlled chaos. It’s a world of hazing—“nurses eat their young.” Sex—not exactly like on TV, but surprising just the same. Drug abuse—disproportionately a problem among the best and the brightest, and a constant temptation. And bullying—by peers, by patients, by hospital bureaucrats, and especially by doctors, an epidemic described as lurking in the “shadowy, dark corners of our profession.” The result is a page-turning, shocking look at our health-care system. In a gripping, behind-the-scenes look filled with drama, miracles, heartbreak, humor and unsung heroism, an award-winning journalist chronicles a year in the lives of four real-life hospital nurses, in a book that doubles as a shocking, unedited examination of our healthcare system