Intensive Care: The Story of a Nurse by Echo HeronMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 8 days on and off
Publisher - Ivy Books
Pages - 372
Blurb from Goodreads
This is a nurse's story unlike any other, because Echo Heron is a very special nurse. Dedicated to healing and helping in the harshest environments, she spent ten years in emergency rooms and intensive care units. Her story is unique, penetrating, and unforgettable. Her story is real.
My Review
Echo Heron takes us on her journey of becoming a student, training to be a nurse and then finally through her adventures and experiences as a staff nurse. Echo has a very strong personality and this comes through in her dealings with patients, friends and situations that at times I was more than a tad mortified. Some very graphic incidents are described and we follow her on an emotional, trying and sometimes upsetting scenarios.
Despite being very vocal and a strong character, nearer the end of the tale she, I felt, randomly added in a disasterous relationship where her previously strong willed character completely disappeared and it didn't add anything to the story.
This book evoked many responces from me, at times I cringed at some of her behaviour towards individuals in this book, other times I admired her spirit and once or twiced actually gasped out loud at what I was reading. I think it is a good story to give people an idea of some of the things people working in a healthcare environment experience everyday. I found this book really intersting although, in some parts, hard to read and did wonder about confidentiality and the protection of patients identities. For example, some of the more harrowing tales or one or two details, it seemed, it you lived in that country you make have been able to identy or have read about the person in the paper.
Overall it made for thought provoking reading, I do like how she engages the reader and draws you in. I would certainly read this author again and believe she has some fiction books out now also which I shall track down, 4/5 for me this time.
Great commentary on this one.
ReplyDeleteBased upon what you wrote obviously there are a lot of controversial things in discussed in this book.
I think that stories like this one sometimes really get to the heat of some of what goes on in this world and can be thus, very valuable.
This book sounds intense! Thank you for sharing your thoughts about it. I hadn't heard of it before visiting your blog.
ReplyDeleteI like when there is stuff to be discussed in a book - stuff to make you think and form an opinion.
ReplyDelete- Love, Felicia
( http://asillygirlsthoughts.weebly.com/ )
Thanks for recommending this and for your thoughtful review. I enjoy memoirs and other non-fiction accounts from medical settings, so I plan to add this to my to-read list.
ReplyDeleteOne I recommend is When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales of Neurosurgery (by Frank Vertosick Jr.).