A compilation of captivating stories with a rustic feel.
By Ann Watt ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2023
For 30 years, Watt worked as a critical care nurse in New England hospitals, and she has many stories to tell. As a sophomore at Fitchburg State College in 1987, the 20-year-old Massachusetts native began her nursing degree and was eager to start practical coursework at a local hospital—even after she fainted while observing a cardiac procedure, which resulted in a broken jaw and teeth. The lesson the author learned—not to miss meals on the job—is the first of many throughout three decades of night shifts in the intensive care unit of a Rhode Island teaching facility, a bustling maternity ward, and an “e-ICU,” where Watt provided virtual on-camera support to medical professionals on the ground. By the end of her career, the author could understand almost any foreign accent, was totally unflappable when it came to bodily functions, and, most importantly, had the unique sense of humor of nurses who’ve seen birth, death, and everything in between—and can’t wait to come back to work the next day (“Make sure you ring the doorbell when you camera into a room. Because it’s so hot in here, we’re all working naked and you might see something you don’t want to see”). This glimpse behind the curtain educates the reader about everything from medical terms—there’s a helpful glossary at the end of the book—to the numerous challenges, as well as rewards, of a well-paid profession in which the workers earn every penny. While Watt’s writing style is captivating, brutally honest, and often humorous, syntax and grammatical errors throughout could have been corrected by a more thorough edit.
Pub Date: June 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781960505187
Page Count: 245
Publisher: Stillwater River Publications
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2023