Touched by a Nurse: Special Moments that Transform Lives

by Jim Kane, Carmine Germaine Warner

Nurses narrate personal stories and encounters offering the opportunity for all nurses to be reminded of those meaningful events that constitute nursing. Real experiences enhance the image of nursing by presenting the special elements of the relationships between nurses and the people in their care. 126 vignettes from nurses around the world and in a variety of disciplines come together in this text to show how the drama of the daily life of nursing brings about universal, spiritual lessons. This is the perfect resource to show your students the human aspect of nursing and a perfect gift for a colleague or yourself!

Genres: Nonfiction

206 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 1999

Reviews

[Mark Vrabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Touched by a Nurse: Special Moments that Transform Lives is a collection of personal recollections by nurses from a wide variety of specialties and worldwide practice settings. Most chapters are titled after the first name of the patient or patients. Although each vignette is unique with regard to the condition and situation of the patient under the nurse's care, all are connected by a common theme–-the human element of the profession and the impact the individuals have on one another's lives. Perhaps more than any other healthcare discipline, nursing incorporates the art of caring and the "intangible" elements of patient care; this collection offers further evidence. I was particularly interested in those stories involving patients with cancer, such as "Bess," a 65-year-old woman on a head and neck oncology unit who underwent extensive surgery on her nasal cavity and palate that resulted in a large disfigured area on her face, and "Madelyn," a woman being treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Reading the nurses' narratives of these and other cancer-related cases reminded me of a button I once saw that read, "No, oncology nursing is not depressing!" On the surface, it would seem that dealing with patients with cancer –- especially pediatric patients –- would in fact be a very depressing experience, considering that in many cases death is imminent. But nurses often cite a certain degree of spiritual fulfillment and recognition of having been given a special gift in the midst of these difficult times; Ann Robinette articulates this ambivalence when describing her dealings with "Madelyn" as "some of the most painful and rewarding months I’ve ever spent." Other recurring themes include the indelibility of the patients in the memories of the nurses and the reciprocal nature of the relationships. Comments such as "I never saw Jim again but I will always remember him" and "I can still see and feel that moment even after all these years" appear frequently; many of the nurses still vividly recall moments with their patients many years later. Remarks often allude to how much the nurses receive in the way of learning and personal growth as they give care to others; for example, "hopefully touching others with my heart as they continue to touch me with theirs" and "this encounter taught me a great deal about myself and has influenced my interaction with patients." Touched by a Nurse is aptly titled, as it would be hard for any reader not to be touched by the moving qualities of the stories shared in such a personal manner. Other works of similar format and content written in the first-person narrative by contributing nurses include Life Support: Three Nurses on the Front Lines (Little, Brown & Company, 1996), and Building a Legacy: Voices of Oncology Nurses (Jones and Bartlett, 1995). The book also has a corresponding Web site that provides information about the authors and workshops, and also offers an archive of featured vignettes and contact information for submissions in future editions.

Also recommended:
Chicken Soup for the Nurse's Soul : 101 Stories to Celebrate, Honor, and Inspire the Nursing Profession

Life Support: Three Nurses on the Front Lines

Building a Legacy: Voices of Oncology Nurses

Continuing the Legacy: More Voices of Oncology Nurses