Nightingale Tales: Stories from My Life as a Nurse

by Lynn Dow

In the 1950s, nurses served as handmaidens to the physician; by the start of the new millennium, they had become admired independent practitioners. Nightingale Tales is a peek into that transition, as told by a nurse who lived it. Each chapter is a stand-alone story depicting the ridiculous mores nurses have been subjected to over the years, the archaic equipment they’ve had to struggle with, and the changes in the profession, brought about by time, the feminist movement, and advances in technology. Told with humor and compassion, the stories of Nightingale Tales provides an unusual―and highly entertaining―window into the world of medicine from the mid-twentieth century to the present.

Genres: Memoir, Nursing, Medical, Science, Nonfiction, Health

200 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2017

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to read these types of books to see if my mom would like them and now I read them to remind me of my mom. Lynne started her nursing career about 10 years before my mom. Some parts I enjoyed, the nursing parts, other parts about going to work hungover not so much. Now I just wish my mom was here so I could ask her some questions.

[Kendell Timmers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love stories from normal people who have seen big things. The evolution of nursing from the ‘60s onward was neat to see through this stories.

[Rosie Mangan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read! Funny, inspiring, and informative.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book about a nurse named Lynn and her real life experiences during a period of time when there wasn’t much of anything medical that was electronic or digital. I’m a nurse and at the end of an exhausting or rough day I feel I don’t have enough time to chart/document and spend hours doing so...and I have the newest medical technology. When I read Lynn’s experiences, I was shocked that she didn’t have anything electronic, everything was done by (non-gloved!) hand (literally!...charting and cranking beds!) and she still managed to get out on time! I enjoyed this book. Some people (including nurses) may read this book and feel like Lynn is not telling us anything we didn’t know, but I enjoyed reading her nursing experiences of real hands-on patient care before technology.

By the way, thank you Lynn for all that you did and all the lives you’ve touched.

[Lyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent but not the best

I’ve had this sitting on my kindle for a few months as I bought it on a whim during last July’s prime day sale. Medical memoirs are my bread and butter and as I’m used to doctor stories, I was excited to see the nurse POV. There were a few fun anecdotes but towards the end, as we started getting into modern/more recent nursing, the author started to come off as whining about the good old days when misogyny ruled and nurses wore white dresses 🙄

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm usually a fan of first person accounts and biographies, and as such, this book did not disappoint. I thoroughly loved how Lynn Dow gave us insider views of her life as a nurse, starting with her time as a student nurse, and extending throughout her long career. If you're looking for a book with unabashedly honest tales about the nursing profession, then this is the book for you!

[patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynn Dow became a nurse in 1959 around the time I had decided that's what I wanted to do (I was 11 that year). Mrs. Dow was a nurse in a time where nurses were handmaidens of the physicians, never questioned their orders. Nurses stood if a doctor came into the nurse's station. But nursing and medicine was on the brink of change and she witnessed it. Nightingale Tales: Stories From My Life As A Nurse is exactly that. Some are heartwarming, some demonstrate true emergency, any nurse can recall stories of hope, healing and miracles. I could definitely relate to many of them. I had to laugh sometimes the humor is only funny to nurses. When she wrote about mixing a solution I remembered we had to learn the formula but we no longer did this. Mrs. Dow wrote in the 90's nurses went thru what she called the grunge period. That I don't remember, I worked in the east and we had to wear scrubs and they had to be neat. I agree with Lynn Dow nurses were able to spend more time with patients and learn far more about the person. It is terrible when your nurse has to look at the computer to chart and not look at the patient's face, you can miss so much. I loved being a nurse.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovingly organized collection of tales about Dow’s many years as a registered nurse that’s made especially appealing since she was there before technology and through many of the advances that catapulted is into the 21st century. Her stories of a spunky nurse are as much lighthearted as serious with an evenness that is enjoyable to read. A few even make you really think if she’s telling the truth, but you know she generally is if for an embellishment here or there. It’s a memoir. And it’s fun.

Those that likely medical dramas should sign up to read it for sure and the local connection is fun too. Who wouldn’t want to be prescribed a dose of bourbon repeat one times if needed for some pain relief?!?

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this author did her nursing studies and graduated 14 yrs before me, in a different country, I loved reading her anecdotes about her experiences as a nurse, and found I could identify with many of them. Her writing style was very readable and even entertaining. I’d recommend this as a fun read for any of my fellow nurse retirees. It definitely stirred up some very old memories, as well as made me laugh out loud a time or two. The epilogue had a ring of truth to it, I agree that technology has displaced the nurturing aspect of nursing, and it would be nice if the two could come together. In a perfect world perhaps.

[Melissa D. Coulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to be a nurse to enjoy this....

As a diploma graduate RN of class of 1984, this is all I ever wanted to do. While things were a little bit better (?) in the 80's , the program was exactly the same. We were taught to be nurses. Attending a hospital based school we learned it all... I feel bad for the nurses of today - their hands on skill is so limited, and they miss out that a touch works better than a test or a drug. Your story reminds me of the things I went through to obtain that coveted "RN" degree.
Perhaps this book, and others like it, should be included in the history of nursing! (Do they still include that in class?)
Thank you Nurse Dow!!

[Chiara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first nursing biography i ever read. As a nurse myself I'm very grateful for her recount on the history of nursing and it's evolution. I do agree that now we have so much more duties on our plate that i wish i could focus more on the patient himself, speak to them and see them clearly, i think that's what's currently missing from the patient experience nowadays and i think it helps in detecting symptoms and diagnosis more if we spend more time with them. However, as writing and literature book, this book has a longgggggg way to go.

[Sharyn Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book was really different and I did learn that nurses were treated a lot different then now people do not realize how much more responsible that nurses have to do now compare to the times of earlier times and how they know so much more and are allowed to do so much more since they have always known more about patients since they are always there for the patient

[MarleneBuettner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Every Minute of this book!

I too graduated from a 3 year diploma Nursing program but in 1976. I could relate to the many changes in nursing through the years and the various escapades Lyn wrote about. It felt like a wonderful trip down memory lane! I will certainly recommend this book to my fellow retired nurse friends.

[Marianna Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a nurse myself of a certain age, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip down memory lane about spending three years with other young women learning to become a nurse. It was a difficult, yet challenging time learning how to care for hospitalized patients and, at the same time, deal with the restricting rules of the nursing school. Delightful and entertaining.

[Barbara Erbacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew Lynn when I was working as a nurse educator. It was wonderful to read her stories of those early years in her nursing education and career. Some of the stories are laugh-out-loud funny, and all of them are well told and engaging. Anyone who has been a nurse or cared for by one will find her stories engaging.

[Dede Janzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a nurse I really enjoyed this book. It makes me wonder how we can even complain about the things we deal with nowadays compared to how it was. Nursing has evolved in so many ways as well as the respect of physicians for nurses. Must read for any of your nursing friends or family.

[Gail B. Boettcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

From one older retired RN to another

This book brought back many memories of my nursing days, only mine were often in a rural settings where I was the only RN in the hospital who also covered the ER and delivery until the doctor could get there
.

[Sara Cancilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about dirty jobs!

FUN BOOK, To find that post world war ll nursing involved such a Strong Stomach along with dedication, compassion, strength and kindnesss was surprising.
(Review by Sara's sister)

[Annette · Rating 2 out of 5]

NIGHTINGALE TALES: would appeal more to someone in the medical community. The lack of technology would be interesting. It strikes me as an accounting rather than stories. I thought I’d jump out of my usual genre, but I probably won’t finish the book.

[Alana Haase · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books about real life nursing stories. This one educates and entertains. Well written and very enjoyable!

[Pamela Beugnot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the stories of the nurse as times changed. Some stories were told over again with different highlights based on the chapter title.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, not terribly clean, sort of old-fashioned fun. She's got a lot of stories and tells them very efficiently.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brings back memories

As a nurse of 47 years, I loved this book. It brought back many fond memories. I read it in two days.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

This is a fast paced story of an incredible nursing career that impacted so many lives, both patients and coworkers.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lynn Dow was a nurse for half a century and she does a great job of telling stories that illustrate how much the medical world changed in that time.

[Margaret P. Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read

I am an old fashioned gal and appreciate a visit back in time of nursing practices . Come a long way

[Louisa Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was okay. The author was probably a better nurse than she was an author.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable biography about how nursing has changed since the 1950's.

[Cheri Smallwood-ellerker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally loved this book, All I can say is how nursing care has come on. But also treatment of nurses.

[Rosanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Crazy stories and details of how medicine was practiced in the not-too-distant past. I loved Lynn's writing style and the chapters were divided well. An excellent read.