Reclaiming the Passion: Stories that Celebrate the Essence of Nursing

AORN Journal,  Feb, 2006  by Susan Gerdes

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Reclaiming the

Passion: Stories that

Celebrate the Essence

of Nursing

Kristin Baird

2004, 208 pages

$15.95 softcover

In these busy days of change, computers, multitasking, advanced technology, and job stress, nurses sometimes forget why they entered the profession. In a rush to get the job done, they lose sight of the emotional component of nursing and the pride they felt in their work. This book reaffirms how much a few caring moments or nurturing words from a nurse can affect patients or their loved ones. The author states that all nurses have defining moments that help to shape their own and their patients' experiences. It is refreshing to read stories from nurses who feel a passion for their profession and who have not let technology take the place of human touch.

The author, a nurse with more than 25 years of experience in health care and clinical expertise ranging from public health to critical care, describes her book as the result of two decades of work. The book is composed of one-to-three-page stories by nurses from many diverse areas, including the OR, pediatrics, hospice, and academia. A short, personal account of the storyteller precedes each story. The thought-provoking accounts cover many topics from premature birth to death. A few stories are humorous, but most are serious. Some contain ethical dilemmas or unexpected lessons that nurses have learned from their patients.

One particularly heart-warming story is about a patient who wrote a poem to his nurse a few days after she had cared for him. At the time, the encounter did not seem all that extraordinary. When the nurse received the exquisite poem, it encouraged and enlivened her. Even after many years, she still reads the poem and considers that, "maybe today I made a difference in someone's life and didn't even know it."

The narratives conclude with ideas from the author to encourage nurses to record their own thoughts and stories, cherish their uniqueness, and reflect on how their work helps enrich others' lives. The author asks nurses to list the things they love about nursing and spend time talking about the positive aspects, not the negative. She also suggests that nurses actively seek a more public voice by sharing their own stories.

This book is suitable for students, novice nurses, and seasoned veterans. It would make a wonderful gift for a new graduate or a retiree. It is a tribute to nurses who are present at many life-altering events, and it may help readers reaffirm their passion for nursing.

This book is available from Golden Lamp Press, PO Box 662, Ft Atkinson, WI 53538.

SUSAN GERDES

RN, BSN, CNOR

STAFF NURSE

MERCY MEDICAL CENTER-NORTH IOWA

MASON CITY, IOWA

COPYRIGHT 2006 Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning