Theresa Brown talks about THE SHIFT, her gripping look at nursing, why there should always be patients over profits, writing, and so much more

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Becoming a mom led me away from academia and into nursing. Being pregnant with twins and then caring for twins and a toddler revealed that I had a passion for what I call the “mess of life”—all the unexpectedness, wonder, emotional richness, and chaos that go with working closely, and intimately, with people. I wanted to do a job like that in which I physically cared for people.<br /><b><br />What was one of the most difficult adjustments you had to make when you became a nurse?</b><br /><br />The level of on-the-job busyness is intense. I was used to having long, intricate conversations with colleagues in coffee shops. In nursing I had to have the same intricate conversations, but quickly, in the impersonal setting of the hospital, and with the stakes a lot higher than is typical for discussions in universities.<br /><b><br />What advice do you have for anyone considering a career change to nursing?</b><br /><br />Believe in yourself. If your gut tells you that being a nurse is the job for you, GO FOR IT. I have never regretted my decision to go into nursing. Never.<br /><br /><b>How did you become affiliated with the New York Times and which of your columns has generated the most response from readers?</b><br /><br />The New York Times published my first ever column, called “Perhaps Death is Proud: More Reason to Savor Life.” From that column I got the contract for my first book, Critical Care, and also started writing regularly for the New York Times blog “Well.” Then I transitioned into writing opinion columns.<br /><br />My column on doctors being bullies, called “Physician Heel Thyself,” got the most attention of any of my columns, a lot of it negative. But I’m now listed on Wikipedia as the person who really brought this issue to the public’s attention, which makes me very proud.<br /><br /><b>Why is it important for nurses to tell their stories via the media?</b><br /><br />Nurses are so crucial to patients’ success or failure in the hospital and a lot of people don’t understand that. The only way for the public to really grasp the importance of nursing is for nurses to tell our stories. Plus, we have great stories to tell.<br /><b><br />What message are you hoping to convey to readers in your recently published book, The Shift?</b><br /><br />Exactly what I said in the answer above: Nurses are the integral part of good hospital care. I want people to really see that. Nurses make health care work.<br /><b><br />What can nurse educators do to improve the image of nursing?</b><br /><br />Nursing education unfortunately has a long history of being hard on nursing students as a form of tough love and making sure we’re up to the challenges of the job. I want nursing education to instill self-respect and confidence in nurses. Tell us how important we are and then teach us how to affirm and support that importance on the job.<br /><b><br />What impact do you see the Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, having on health care?</b><br /><br />If the report is taken seriously it could have a big impact. The challenge is getting the information disseminated to health care administrators, nurse managers, and rank and file nurses.<br /><br /><b>What should our priorities be in the dialogue on health care reform?</b><br /><br />Patients over profits. Greed has led our system astray and we need to rein that in. We also need to see universal coverage as a public good.<br /><br /><b>What do you see as one of the biggest challenges facing nursing in the near future?</b><br /><br />Nurses are continually being asked to do more with less, leading to burnout and clinical nurses leaving the field altogether. As a profession we need to focus on improving resilience and creating work environments that keep nurses in the job, feeling successful and valued. I would love it if The Shift moved that conversation along.<br /><br /><br /><br />
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