Nursing Stories by the Hundreds!

Now that my book has been reworked and has a new title—Playing Sheriff: A Nurse Practitioner’s Story—I am ready to get it in print. In order to do this, I’ve been looking for books about nursing, and preferably written by a nurse. to see how these reached publication.

First of all, I found out was that there are more books out there than I had thought. Some have been published with the help of an agent, some by small press or university press, others self-published, and a few worked within publishing partnerships.

One of the books, The Call of Nursing: Stories from the Front Lines of Health Care by William B. Patrick (2013), which, although not edited by a nurse, is a must-read.

“These twenty-three, first person profiles in nursing are ethnically, culturally, and educationally diverse. Some of the women and men here emulated mothers who were nurses, and were sure of their life paths before they entered high school. Some switched careers in midstream, for better salaries or increased job security, among other things. And others came to nursing much later in life, often answering a mysterious call to follow a vocation that could make a difference for individuals in need. But, taken together, their stories chronicle work experiences and environments that not only illuminate the broad range of career options for nurses but also form a valuable body of health care knowledge. All in all, this book communicates the essence of nursing.”

Gertrude B. Hutchinson, MSIS, MA, RN, CCRN-R, Archivist, Bellevue Center for Nursing History

Two other books also focus on first-person stories by nurses:

1. Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room by Echo Heron (2015).

Nurses who work in the emergency rooms and those who were involved in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 share their experiences.

2. A Call to Nursing: Stories about Challenge and Commitment by Paula Sergi & Geraldine Gorman (2009).

This book is an anthology in which “nurses speak about the joys and challenges of their chosen career . . .”

Collectively, there are a total of 107 nurses sharing their stories. Impressive!