The team of nurses that Tilda Shalof found herself working with in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a big-city hospital was known as "Laura's Line." They were a bit wild: smart, funny, disrespectful of authority, but also caring and incredibly committed to their jobs. Laura set the tone with her quick remarks. Frances, from Newfoundland, was famous for her improvised recipes. Justine, the union rep, wore t-shirts emblazoned with defiant slogans, like "Nurses Care But It's Not in the Budget." Shalof was the one who had been to university. The others accused her of being "sooo sensitive."
They depended upon one another. Working in the ICU was both emotionally grueling and physically exhausting. Many patients, quite simply, were dying, and the staff strove mightily to prolong their lives. With their skill, dedication, and the resources of modern science, they sometimes were almost too successful. Doctors and nurses alike wondered if what they did for terminally-ill patients was not, in some cases, too extreme. A number of patients were admitted when it was too late even for heroic measures. A boy struck down by a cerebral aneurysm in the middle of a little-league hockey game. A woman rescued - too late - from a burning house. It all took its toll on the staff.
And yet, on good days, they thrived on what they did. Shalof describes a colleague who is managing a "crashing" patient: "I looked at her. Nicky was flushed with excitement. She was doing five different things at the same time, planning ahead for another five. She was totally focused, in her element, in control, completely at home with the chaos. There was a huge smile on her face. Nurses like to fix things. If they can."
Shalof, a veteran ICU nurse, reveals what it is really like to work behind the closed hospital curtains. The drama, the sardonic humour, the grinding workload, the cheerful camaraderie, the big issues and the small, all are brought vividly to life in this remarkable book.
From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Harps too much:

As a nurse, I have some understanding of this nurse's concerns and tribulations because I share them. To someone who is not a nurse, or who doesn't work with critically ill patients, this book may have a lot of informational value - however, being familiar with the setting, I found it more repetitive than anything else. I think I was hoping to gain more positive insights and to be introduced to some kind of unique perspective. For me, the book fell short.

Just what I needed:

I'm 7mo into my nursing career in a Pediatric Cardiac ICU. I'm at the point where the "honeymoon" is over. The charge nurse is giving me more difficult assignments and the senior nurses are expecting more from me. Most days its great, its nice knowing that the senior staff has the confidence in you to assign challenging pts. Other days... well its nice to read a book reminding you that this is our profession and even with the bad days, its wonderful. I loved this book, couldn't put it down. Several times... more info

Thank You for telling my story too!!:

If you want to know what it's like to be a nurse in the ICU, this book is a MUST read!! As an RN in the States with 23 years experience in the ICU, this could have been my story too! I always imagined writing a book about my experience, now I don't have to! Thank You Tilda!! You are my Hero!

A great new perspective from a modern medical memoir: