The Story Behind the Story with Author Francene Cosman of Nova Scotia, Canada.

 

This week we have Francene sharingthe Story Behind the Story regarding her book – Nurse! A Memoir.  She  is also sharing an excerpt for your readingpleasure.

Francene writes from experience andfrom the heart.

Read on my friends.

 

Windsor Ontario was my first home, followed by several movesto different cities and provinces as my alcoholic father lost a lot of jobsuntil he found himself sober when I was ten years old. Those were difficultformative years, but strength comes from survival in a dysfunctional family.Neither of my parents had schooling beyond grade nine, and thus I wasdetermined to go further. I escaped to books, bought with a small allowanceeach week, and a first job as a pre teen, helping to make tea and clean dustbunnies in an antique shop that also sold books. I never had any money leftover as it all was spent in the shop. I loved the Nancy Drew mysteries and theHardy Boys’ stories. The best thing that happened as a child was my father’ssobriety and a move to Renforth, NB, into our first home, and local schoolswhere I grew up with a circle of friends and a river to swim in.  I started reading Reader’s Digest condensedbooks summarized popular titles down to the bare bones, a teaser  of sorts. If I loved the shortened version, Ithen would buy the full-length book. I felt happy to see a collection of books growingon my bookshelf and knew that I was learning so much simply by reading. I donot recall either of my parents ever reading a novel of any sort.  As I grew up and had to consider further education,I wanted to study medicine, and since there was no money for university, Ientered nursing school in the Saint John General hospital. Three years laterafter graduation, I moved to Jersey City, NJ, and specialized in obstetrics forsix months. On returning to NB, I worked in the Saint John General and theVictoria Public Hospital in Fredericton.  With marriage came a move to NS, where Iworked in the Grace Maternity Hospital. Career was overtaken by motherhood withthe birth of two daughters, fifteen months apart!

Nursing was the foundation that provided me with focus andintention as I became interested in community issues. Ultimately, I traded mynursing career for a political career, becoming first a County Councillor, thenthe first Mayor of Bedford. A stint as the president of the NS advisory councilon the status of women was followed by my work as the executive director of theNS Liberal Party, then seeking elected office as an MLA. I was successful inthat and served as Deputy Speaker, then Minister of Community Services,Minister for the Civil Service, Minister responsible for the Status of Womenand the Disabled Person’s commission. I served two terms in government and thenretired. I am not sure what it means to be retired, except that all the hoursthat are suddenly free from a paid job, become the hours filled up withvolunteer commitments and the fun of being able to choose another path. Iserved for six years as a Governor on the Board of Governors of the NS artGallery, and currently am the volunteer Curator of the historic Scott ManorHouse in Bedford, as well as volunteering on the archival committee. At the ageof 82, I still have lots of ideas about other pursuits! In addition to writing,I am an amateur painter.

 

 

Working Title: Nurse! A Memoir

 

 

Synopsis: The memoir is a coming-of-age story following my footsteps inthe three-year study program in the Saint John General hospital school ofnursing. I was born to nurse but didn’t know it yet! I entered as an immature 18-year-oldgirl full of self doubt and the story follows along through the corridors of abusy general hospital as I face the challenges and learn the intricacies ofnursing. Poignant, funny, sad, challenging, every raw emotion that could befelt. Three years later I graduated with skills that carried me throughout mybusy life. The transformation from scared young woman to mature professional isdetailed and hopefully engages readers. I am told that it is a “can’t put itdown” book.

The story behind the story: I love storytelling and I lovehistory. I believe we learn from the past and I wanted to capture the slice oftime and professional training that took place over three years in training. Ilooked at Saint John and the hallmarks of my youth were gone. As I reflected onvast changes in my life, the streetscapes of my youth were obliterated, theChurch I attended was decommissioned, the church where I married was torn downand the hospital I loved was imploded. I knew I did not want the story of thehospital and its training program to simply settle into the dustbin. And so, Iwrote, at first just for fun, then finally with intent to capture the memoriesand bring them to life. Covid restrictions meant that time spent at home couldbe used productively writing my story.

As a student I walked the corridors to class and glanced atold framed photos of nurses from Victorian days. They were so prim and proper,yet no one knew who they were or why they had chosen nursing No one knew theirstory. This image is still in my mind and I know it inspired me to try tocapture my story and that of my classmates. 

The memoir has a role in generating discussion about nursingeducation today. We are in a crisis in the health care system, where there arenot enough nurses to fill the need, and where the profession no longer canretain staff because of a variety of reasons that must be addressed bygovernment to resolve the crisis. This extends beyond nursing itself, into all thefacets that supply a health care system. Shortages of doctors, and technicians,add impetus to the need to dialogue and find solutions before the breakingpoint is reached. Real change is needed and not band aid solutions. Theevolution of the nursing education model currently in use came about when therewas no crisis, simply change for change sake at the political level. Is themodel relevant today? History records what worked in the past and points theway to analyzing what could work today along with reshaping nursing education tosustain the profession. Nurses deserve Sainthood, working under exhausting short-staffed conditions that are driving them away from the profession. The statusquo is not able to sustain the needs and thus I hope that Nurse! A Memoir, canbe a directional arrow to dialogue and analysis for renewal.

 

 

Website: https://www.ocpublishing.ca/francene-cosman.html

 

 

A question for you before you go, Francene:

What is the perfect setting for your writing?

I like a quiet atmosphere without distraction, and theearlier time of day, the better for me to write. I still prefer pen in hand anduse coloured pens to write. I like a fresh notebook with spiral binding, onethat can lay flat. No words go on the page until the inspiration button turnson in my head, as I cannot force creative juices to flow. The words mustgenerate from somewhere. I keep a pen and paper handy because somewhere out ofthe blue, an inspired thought or full sentence will flow, and I can capture itand use it later. I love hunkering down in a good storm because it forces me togive up on other plans and just write. First drafts get inked out and usingdouble spaces on the page helps that process. Eventually I use the dictatebutton on my computer and read the draft into it. But hand and pen and ink arethe juice I need to be a writer. I am not neat, my office is a mess, but I canfind what I am looking for, so there must be organization underneath it all.

 

 

 

This is an excerpt from asection in the book dealing with the case room delivery in the hospital.  It chronicles my experience with a delivery:

 

Often a mother would arrive on the verge of delivery and nodoctor would be present. I did the best I could on these occasions, but Iwanted to know more in case I had to be the one doing the delivery. On amomentous day for me, this is exactly what happened. As I was about to deliverthe fetus without an intern or obstetrician, the doctor rushed ungloved throughthe door, and I looked at him expecting him to take over. “No, you're doing agreat job.” He's confident. I'm not! I could see the crown of the head ready tobirth. “Check for the cord around the baby's neck”, the doctor reminded me. Iinserted my finger gently inside to make sure there was no evidence of theumbilical cord. “There's no cord, it's OK.” Then I supported the perineum so itwould remain intact as the baby came out. I did as he instructed.  “Stop pushing now, just pant. I want the babyto come out slowly,” I instructed the mother. It seemed to take forever butonly a minute went by as the mother panted and I managed to grab a steriletowel to wrap the baby shoulders as it slid out. A baby girl in my hands. I hadno idea how slippery a newborn was in the first few seconds. God forbid that itshould land on the floor. “I did it”! I delivered her baby, and it feels soamazing to do this I hope I get a chance again, it's glorious!

Thank you for being our guest thus week,Francene. I’m sure this will not be your last book and we wish you continuedsuccess.

 

A big thanks toour visitors and readers.