Reflections on Doctors: Nurses' Stories About Physicians and Surgeons

by Terry Ratner

Nurses share what it’s like to work with doctors—when it’s like a smooth-running machine, when communication breaks down, and how it directly affects the patient. Hear from people new to the field as well as those who have been in nursing for decades about power differences, gender dynamics, and the challenge of public perceptions. Edited and introduced by a registered nurse, Reflections on Doctors is a resource for nurses and anyone who wants to better understand the healthcare professionals who care for them.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nursing, Medicine

195 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2008

Reviews

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I've had a bad run of mediocre books lately.

I would recommend this to med students, just to let them know they might come across as dicks.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite liked these little vignettes - a collection of short essays written by nurses giving insight into their relationship with the other members of their team. The majority were positive, only a few recording negative experiences, and many reflected on how their role (or perceptions of it) changed over time.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

My story, "The Best Doctor This Side of Heaven" is included in this refreshing, inspiring and honest anthology by nurses about doctors.
A must read for all nurses, doctors, anyone in healthcare or thinking about going into healthcare.

[lola · Rating 2 out of 5]

The joint commission would have a serious issue with the QC in this book. One of the things I'd love to see come out in the next few years is a book on nursing/nurses--god, maybe even radical nursing--that is edited truly rigorously. Gonna hope! Gonna hope forever!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Truthfully? Kind of boring. But I am a nurse and I work with doctors... so maybe this was kind of redundant for me. It's another of those collections of essays by different people in the medical field, some interesting, some not.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good collection of honest stories about physician-nurse collaberation. I hope it will stimulate a lot of conversation about how to make this more effective in the service of patient care.

[Elizabeth]

As seen in the New York Times .

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives me hope for my future career!

[David Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this compilation of short essays by nurses. Many of them have very positive stories about working with doctors, while some share stories about the worst doctors they've encountered. Some of the most compelling stories involve nurses who started out with a poor doctor-nurse relationship and over time shaped these relationships for the better.

[Carrie Billig]

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[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be bias with my 5 stars. I'm a nurse.

At first, graduating from college I really wanted to pursue a medical degree and become a cardiologist. I was torn between this or to continue post grad studies for my nursing degree. I was confused at that time. It came apparent that I would have difficulty becoming a doctor due to finances.

But when I started working for a tertiary hospital here in manila, I came across a fraction of doctors who had big egos and acted as jerks. Although I respect most of them and some of them are very nice and very kind, still, there are still those who are very arrogant and egotistical. It somehow made me think that I was glad I was turned into one of them. But still, at the back of my mind, I wished I had continued on my dream and somehow made it less aggravating for the nurses.
Now climbing up the ladder of my nursing career and I would like to pursue higher education. I'm hoping one day I can lead nurses and make it easier for my colleagues.

Again, 5 stars, although some are good and some essays are boring, it really made me feel good with all the facets of nurse-doctor relationships. One cannot live off on its own. Its just a matter on how one would try to work and save lives.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Each of the writers/stories has a good point to make, and a reasonable viewpoint, and that's why I give this two stars. Some of the stories are well written, but some of the writing is horrible. It's one thing for an editor to let each writer speak in her or his own voice; lack of editing is a whole different thing. The book seems to be put together as one in a series of titles that the publisher hopes to sell. The last third of the book is a "Reader's Guide" and excerpts from more books in the series. If you like Reader's Digest (I actually do) and maybe Chicken Soup for the Soul (which I've never even been tempted to read), you will probably enjoy this book.

[Emily Cournoyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books that I have ever read. It should be mandatory to read this book for anyone who plans on being a doctor. Some of the emotions that come out in this book have changed the way that I will look at going to become a doctor. The nurses should be acknowledged for the work that they have done and they should be applauded for having to put up with most of the doctors that they are forced to work with.