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

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. Nursing is more than a career; it is a calling, and one of the most important and fascinating professions in the world. In few other careers are overworked, understaffed people so devoted to their work that they toil 12-16 hours without eating, sleeping, or taking breaks. And they are expected to elicit high patient satisfaction scores from patients who might scratch, hit, bite, or otherwise assault them. Nurses are remarkable. Yet contemporary literature largely neglects them. In THE NURSES, New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist Alexandra Robbins celebrates these brave women and men - and provides them with a fast-paced read they can give to family and friends and say, This is what it's like to be me. THE NURSES is both a riveting work of investigative journalism and an inspirational rallying cry, reminding nurses that they should be deeply proud of what they do and motivating readers to fight for the appreciation that nurses deserve. Robbins followed nurses in four hospitals over the course of a year and interviewed hundreds of others to write a captivating story filled with joy and violence, trauma and miracles, dark humor and narrow victories, infuriating struggles and heroic endeavors. THE NURSES presents sympathetic, engaging characters while diving deep into their world of controlled chaos. The result is a page-turner possessing all the twists and turns of a brilliantly told narrative - and a shocking, unvarnished examination of our health care system. Our story needs to be told, a nurse told Robbins. We want to be heard. They will be. And you will never view nurses the same way again 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 In this lively, fast-paced narrative, New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Robbins digs deep into the subculture of nursing, drawing readers into a brilliantly captivating in-depth investigation of the extraordinary working lives of nurses and the shocking behind-the-scenes secrets that all patients and their loved ones need to know. The Nurses is told through the real-life stories of four women in different hospitals: Molly, funny, well-loved, and confident enough to quit a longtime job after her hospital ramps up its anti-nurse policies. Lara, a superstar nurse who tries to battle her way back from a near-ruinous prescription-drug addiction. The outspoken but compassionate Juliette, a fierce advocate for her patients. And Sam, a first-year nurse, struggling to find her way in a gossipy mean-girl climate she likens to high school, except for the dying people. The result is a riveting page-turner, insightful and thought-provoking, that will leave readers feeling smarter about their healthcare and undeniably appreciative of the incredible nurses who provide it. 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. What it's really like to be a nurse : the joy and heartbreak of the "secret club" Crossing doctor-nurse lines : how the sexy-nurse stereotype affects relationships with doctors and patients Who protects the nurses? Taking care of people who punch you in the face When nurses bully nurses : hierarchies, hazing, and why they eat their young Burnt to a crisp : how nurses cope-and why some crack The stepford nurse : how hospitals game the system for patient "satisfaction" The code of silence : painkillers, gossip, and other temptations Don't get sick in July : nurses' secrets-what patients need to know about their hospitals and their health What makes a hero : why nurses do what they do What you can do : advice and inspiration for the public, patients, families, nurses, aspiring nurses, managers, and others. 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.