Debrief: True Stories of Advocating for Patients, Building Resilience, and Finding Your Voice as a Nurse-One Shift at a Time

by Stephanee Beggs

What if true strength in healthcare isn’t just about skill or knowledge, but who you are when it matters most?

Heart over ego. Presence over perfection. The courage to keep showing up.

We are taught that nurses must remain calm under pressure, offer endless compassion, and always be ready to help. But what happens when the weight of this responsibility becomes too heavy to bear alone—when you’re in the middle of a code and everyone looks to you for answers you’re not sure you have?

Debrief is a deeply personal and unfiltered account of life in the emergency department, told through the eyes of nurse Stephanee Beggs. From her earliest days as a new graduate to her experiences as a staff and travel nurse, Beggs takes readers behind the scenes of one of the most intense corners of healthcare.

This raw and honest memoir explores what it truly means to advocate for patients—while simultaneously learning to advocate for yourself. With powerful storytelling and hard-won insight, Beggs reveals the emotional weight of emergency the profound losses, the quiet victories, the unspoken culture of “nurses eat their young,” and the quest to find your voice in a system that doesn’t always listen. True to her style, Beggs unpacks her experiences with authenticity and intention—always searching for each moment’s deeper lesson.

At its core, Debrief is about dissecting what shapes you—those defining moments that make you who you are personally and professionally.
The the pause often overlooked after a traumatic shift. This book is that debrief—the one we rarely receive but have always needed.

In Debrief, you’ll

The unvarnished reality of life on the frontlines of emergency medicineStrategies to navigate trauma, grief, and burnout while staying grounded in your core purposeThe truth about systemic challenges in healthcare—and how to rise above themWhy debriefing and reflection are key to personal healing and professional growthHow vulnerability, honesty, and empathy can change lives—starting with your ownFilled with grit, heart, and unwavering truth, Debrief will move you, challenge you, and ultimately remind you of the power of the human spirit—even in the most uncertain times.

168 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2025

Reviews

[zoe wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. It was really an eye opener to what goes on in the field. I feel as if anyone could read this book because the author does a good job at explaining everything. I was also able to really visualize all of her stories & loved the details! Though I was reading this book for about a week, these past 2 days I have had a hard time putting it down!! 5/5 ⭐️

[Heidi Fernandes · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an RN for 20+ years, I agree with others who have said that this is more for new nurses. There are certainly important lessons to be gleaned from the stories.

[Sami Rhea Burley · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a nurse of 13 years total, 9 being staff in an inner city major medical center, 2 being a travel nurse, 2 as a nurse practitioner, and 5 as a nurse educator there are things that I liked and then things I just couldn’t get past. I think this book is geared towards new grads for sure and that is not a bad thing. Even being an experienced nurse, but newer nurse practitioner, I appreciated the acknowledgement of the transition from novice to expert. The author really describes the universal feelings of uncertainty, self-doubt, and anxiety and emphasizes that you are not alone. I also enjoyed her inclusion of triage notes and education points.

It is undoubtedly challenging to write a book like this without any touch of personal bias. What frustrated me and left me unable to finish this book was the emphasis of the importance of giving everyone a clean slate and caring for patients by meeting them where they are, while simultaneously saying that she (the author) didn’t want to work with “entitled” and “demanding” patients in hospitals in areas that were not underserved. Then describing other nurses being jaded. The hypocrisy. I was immediately turned off. Everyone needs and deserves care and compassion.

Personally, the author’s attempt to remain neutral in her descriptions of her experiences while also offering other perspectives felt fake. And I can’t imagine that being true. I just feel that it wasn’t well executed. At the end of all of her reflections, she was always the hero. Her way was the right way. And by no means am I saying that nursing should be full of self deprication. We should celebrate our wins. I just was turned off by how this book was written and feel that the author had mixed goals of reflecting on her experiences and reflections and trying too hard to be unbiased. It’s okay to hurt feelings with your opinion. But I feel like she’s trying too hard not to and it’s conflicting.

Also, my personal opinion….. 5 years of nursing experience in the grand scheme of an entire career does not seem like enough time to write a book. Maybe that is where the gap is— focused on balancing people pleasing/audience pleasing and sharing your true views.

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I already have experience in the hospital I didn’t find it to be interesting because I’m use to this kind of life style already. Her stories were interesting to read and I think this book is geared more to new nurses. It was a great story of her life and what she’s overcome in her journey.

Xoxo

[Books_with_Shianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. As a new nurse myself I appreciated the encouraging words, helpful insight and crazy stories. I don’t think you need to be a new nurse to enjoy this book as I think it has good reminders for everyone to take.

[Haley BK · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an ER Nurse for the last 1.5 yrs I’m glad this book shown light on the struggles we face. I enjoyed the educational aspects of the book.
That being said, the constant start to a story and then “but let’s start at the beginning” became old, fast. I understand the book itself is a reflection of the author’s struggles from student to new grad to veteran nurse. I feel it needed more review from an editor to help it flow more.
This book is definitely more for nurses who are just starting out up until 2ish years in, in my opinion.

[aud · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a post-covid new grad this book struck home. This book showcases the trials and tribulations that a new graduate nurse goes through. Very well written.

[Ellie LeCompte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read and very relatable. Very clear and concise writing. My only complaint is the book could have been longer to expand more fully on the ideas shared in each brief chapter. I wanted a more clear outline of what to expect to read in the book, and instead it was filled with experiences in the ER and a debrief. There was plenty of experiences (which I enjoyed and thought were interesting) but I wanted a longer “debrief”. To investigate the feelings of a nurse and relate to how use this experience for outside life (for a non medical experience) I wanted the chapters to all connect or build up to something much more. The book did sum up a portion of this but no where near enough.

I did learn and reflect on a lot of the care I provide as a nurse. I have been burnt out very much lately and have been taking time off. Now, I have decided to focus my time more in patient care filled with compassion than trying to complete all of my tasks a soon as feasibly possible. I want to improve my leadership, assessment, and communication skills as well.

[Victoria Daphne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry. I wish I could rate this higher, as I like the author and everything she has done and continues to do for new nurses. Her IG account is wonderful and full of helpful tips and quizzes, and it is great to follow, especially again, for new nurses.
That being said, this book was not good. It wasn't written that well, struggled to transition from one story to another, from one patient to another, and some of the cases felt unfinished. What happened to the baby with elevated LFT?
I also struggled with how self-serving it came off very brag-y in spots. I feel like every story was just her showing us what an incredible nurse she is, and she does everything right, and all new nurses should be like her and no one else.
I am so sorry for the loss of her mother, but I couldn't read anymore about how she took care of her mother as she died and how she was far ahead of other nursing students because she had that experience in nursing school, and how unique it made her.
It was just too much bragging and too much about how amazing she is, just 5 years in.

[Kaide Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not that I didn’t like it, and parts really were great. It is just hard to talk about something as complex as what it is like to be a nurse and it not come off cliché or self serving. I am glad I read it and it was a very quick read, but I don’t think I could have finished it if it had kept on for much longer. Major kudos to the author for putting her thoughts and experiences out there and I know a lot of my colleagues loved this book, it just wasn’t for me.

[Priscilla Gichaga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly an amazing read

As a PCU nurse with 1.5 years of experience it is great to read a different perspective of a nurse witnessing patients coming straight from ED. I have loved Stephanie’s work since nursing school and I was excited to find out she had written a book from her experience. I loved the vulnerability and the raw and real emotion she exhibits. Highly recommend this book to any nurse.

[Amanda Cathcart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolute must read for any new grad nurse, regardless if you’ve chosen a specialty or not. Beggs brings to light the countless struggles and challenges any nurse faces in their first year. Her encouragement from page to page is exactly what new nurses need to hear to keep them interested in the profession. Very well done.

[Naomie Barnabas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful, soul-baring memoir that peels back the curtain on emergency nursing with honesty, heart, and hard-earned wisdom. Debrief is the emotional reset every healthcare worker didn’t know they needed.

[Kaitlyn Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

as a FT RN in the ED, I absolutely loved this book. I have been a fan of Stephanee and her content since 2021, so when I saw that she wrote this book I had to read it and loved it!! Highly recommend!!

[Alydah Raguindin · Rating 5 out of 5]

as a new grad nurse myself, it was very encouraging and inspiring to read in preparation for the beginning of my nursing career. it gave me hope and wisdom in what to expect as a new grad. I recommend this to all nurses, but especially any new grad nurses!

[christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

love the stories and education

When I tell you this book had me in tears and occasionally laughing. Thank you so much for being such a light in nursing and sharing your experience that’s allows us to feel a little less alone. You’re a true nursing gem.

[Natalie Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for all the nurses!!! Especially the ER peeps

[Stefanie Nicely · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. Some good ER stories and some tips for new grads. Stephanee is not an author so some of the transitions aren’t great but a good, short read for new nurses.

[Lauren Radke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crushed this during a good night shift. Loved the stories and messages that came with each!

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

truly amazing way of describing healthcare and its flaws!! LOVED made me feel so much better as a new nurse

[Kemt217 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, honest look at being a new grad nurse and changes that need to be made in healthcare to support nurses and in nursing education to better prepare students.

[Grace Garthwait · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on my break during clinical or at work, and it was so great to hear her perspective!

[Brittany Bridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

😭 incredible

[Alexandra Dejongh · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a new ER nurse this read was so fitting, I loved her style of writing and the way she but everything she was feeling out on paper. I would read 1000x over!

[Leah Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!! So many points hit close to home and made me feel not alone in the world as a new grad in the ED.