Not All Angels Have Wings Some Have Stethoscopes Nurse Life Live Love Heal Daily Planner Journal

How do Nurses really feel about their work? Do they become distant and uninvolved with pain and suffering to protect themselves from self-destruction over the years? Do they genuinely care what happens to their patients or is it merely a calloused race to the finish line of quitting time each shift? Any reader who has laid in a hospital bed or had a loved one hospitalized will be able to immediately relate to this book and it's lovingly detailed descriptions of the events unfolding in the lives of both patients and their primary caregivers, the Nursing staff. There are surprises; this is not a pink, warm fuzzy diary but a visceral accounting of the true struggle to maintain humanity and compassion in an environment that runs the risk of becoming immune to it's own drama. The pieces are delivered in the format of often graphic prose and poetry and forward the unexpected combination of pathos and hope. Expect to need tissues as a reading aid. This is a book not only for the lay public but for the health care professions as well; it normalizes the extraordinary experiences of those whose work it is to sustain and save life, whose charge is to heal and to help. There is reassurance in each line of these pages and it should be required reading for all nursing students and health care professionals in addition to being a primer for all those whose life leads them through illness, either in a hospital bed or beside it.

Touched by Angels of Mercy contains small doses of genuine life, from nurses, patients and caregivers, that touch the heart and foster healing. This collection of short stories and poems, interspersed with tasteful cartoons, contains helpful resource information, as well as a brief biography of each contributing author. Many of the works in this collection offer a glimpse into the nurse-patient relationship, as seen through the eyes of the patient, nurse or family member. Some of the stories reveal caregiving scenarios taken from brief moments in history, behind prison walls or even on a golf course. Anyone may be labeled an "Angel of Mercy." This term is not exclusive to nurses. Our world needs the healing "angels" who come to us in a variety of forms, when and where we least expect them. At some time in our lives, each one of us will encounter illness, pain and death. Along with it will come the need for a helping hand and the gentle, caring touch of an "angel of mercy." Everyone has the ability to be courageous, tenacious and loving. When people are hurting, whether from illness, injury or other reasons, they have the instinctive need to be touched and nurtured. People also have the need and desire to share their experiences with others. This process of sharing is frequently healthful and therapeutic. The strength, knowledge and inspiration that comes from recounting personal life and death experiences with one another stimulates healing. The profession of nursing deals with the prevention of illness, as well as the care and rehabilitation of the sick. Although it takes a special person to answer this "calling," todays nurses are vastly different from those of yesteryear. The changing world of healthcare has created unique challenges and added pressures for nursing, but it has also created new frontiers. In addition, there is a growing number of caregivers in our society. Caregivers often feel isolated, apprehensive, exhausted and overwhelmed. They desperately need relief as well as ongoing support. Nurses and caregivers reach out and become "angels" for others. They are compassionate, intelligent and caring beings that provide hands-on care to help the sick to heal, or comfort them as they die. Nurses and caregivers are not invincible; they also need to take care of themselves. The need to be touched by another, and to share personal experiences, are universal human requirements. The strength, knowledge and inspiration that comes from recounting personal life and death experiences fosters healing. Wounds heal from the inside out--so does the heart and soul. Writing these stories has been a therapeutic experience for our authors, and for some, an extremely difficult task. It is our hope that by reading and sharing these real-life, personal experiences, you too will be touched, inspired and healed.

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.

What does victory mean to you? Victory has been commonly been defined as the overcoming of an enemy or antagonist. In life, many of us have had to triumph over trials to meet a particular goal. Those who do not allow hardships to defeat them have been known as overcomers. When it comes to becoming a nurse, or enduring a nursing career, it is known that the schooling is rigorous, the work is tough, the shifts are long and there are some nights that we cannot sleep due to thinking about the shift before.This anthology was created to inspire current nurses and future nurses to not give up when challenging times come. You see, after the rain comes the sunshine. The ladies of this anthology have endured hard times, tough situations and unbelievable circumstances. At the end of it all, they have graduated into becoming excellent nurse professionals, who believe in the call that has been placed upon their lives. Their mission is simple: To assist in making the lives we touch better than before we met. Serving as Wives, Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Advanced Nurses, Doctors of Nursing Practice, and Nurse Entrepreneurs, take a moment to stroll with these women through the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory.Share this book with your favorite nurse, aspiring nurse, woman or friend and encourage them toward their pinnacle of VICTORY.

I think I can peg what I might call the beginnings of my own "Spiritual Journey" around age 40 on a sunny day on Ramstein air base in Germany. A squadron barbecue. An overabundance of pork ribs, baked beans and sauerkraut and a huge discomfort in my chest afterwards. I called it indigestion. Seeking medical attention at the base hospital, the duty doctor thought he'd a case of a heart attack on his hands and shipped me forthwith to the 2d General Army Hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. The bumpy journey over cobble-stoned streets underscored the possibility that on this particular day the odds were that I was going to die. A very difficult realization to handle considering the fact that this eventuality was one I feared with all my heart. Imagine my absolute surprise at my sudden total acceptance of that possibility, the moment I was unloaded from the ambulance. Acceptance—meaning that all fear of death and dying poured from my psyche like water from an upended tumbler. In fact, in that moment, I literally and totally embraced the idea and felt an absolute joy in the knowledge of it. Suddenly, as James Van Praagh has since put it, that stretcher and the waiting gurney the emergency ER Team that awaited my arrival became "My Way Home"—and I was absolutely thrilled to be able to exit the earth plane. That experience took place over 40 years ago. I haven't forgotten it. Since then, I've had my psyche jolted from time by other human beings I've met who are also dearly afraid of Death and dying. And so this book. A novel—written in the guise of a love story gone awry, with a touch of metaphysics and sex; of greed, murder and frequent forays into the Other Side—for those of my fellow travelers on the earth plane who continue to be afraid of outcomes when their personal Maggie's drawers are waved and Death comes calling! The hope is that they too will be smiling in lieu of grimacing when the end of their time on earth has come. They'll seek surcease in that tunnel which takes them home—to the Other Side. Realize great relief and joy (unless they have been shuttled off to The Dark Land to contemplate the effects of careers as murderers, rapists, thieves, swindlers and assassins)—in which case it will be awhile before they get to sample the good stuff on the Other Side! You will find ample citations from the experts in this field throughout the book. James Van Praagh, Sylvia Browne, Arthur Ford, Steven West, Jane Roberts, Raymond A. Moody, M.D. and others. And so, even though fiction, one will find particles of reasoned authenticity—as we know and understand certain aspects of death and dying in today's world.

The Human Side of Nursing: A Short Story Collection, Second Edition gives readers the day-to-day experiences of a visiting nurse as she interacts with patients and their families. The original book has been updated and includes six additional stories. Lois explores how illness, aging, disability, cultural beliefs, and poverty affect people and how they regain hope and meaning for their lives as they learn to manage their health and reconstruct their relationships. The stories are meant to look beneath the surface to the deeper part of human nature. They show the connection among individuals, families, and communities and the challenges and triumphs of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.The story themes are similar-joy, fear, anger, confusion, self-determination, and personal growth. Nurses, nursing students, family caregivers, or anyone interested in warm inspirational stories will enjoy this collection.Review by JeanMarie--Lois' stories of caring for her patients expertly depict how not only the patient or family member is touched by her interventions, but also how the nurse herself is affected.

The following notes are by no means intended as a rule of thought by which nurses can teach themselves to nurse, still less as a manual to teach nurses to nurse. They are meant simply to give hints for thought to women who have personal charge of the health of others. Every woman, or at least almost every woman, in England has, at one time or another of her life, charge of the personal health of somebody, whether child or invalid, -in other words, every woman is a nurse. Every day sanitary knowledge, or the knowledge of nursing, or in other words, of how to put the constitution in such a state as that it will have no disease, or that it can recover from disease, takes a higher place. It is recognized as the knowledge which every one ought to have-distinct from medical knowledge, which only a profession can have

School nurses serve on the front lines of the everyday struggle for our children's health, yet they are often perceived as little more than glorified dispensers of bandages. This false perception, held by many parents, officials, and administrators, does a serious disservice to this dedicated group of health professionals. Angels in Disguise tells the oral history of school nursing through the eyes, ears, and hearts of school nurses serving throughout the United States. By sharing their personal experiences, these nurses illustrate their love and compassion and throw the doors wide open on this often-undervalued profession, enabling readers to see into their world and understand how much they truly care for the children they treat. This collection of heartwarming stories offers unique insight into the daily responsibilities and duties of school nurses and serves to raise public awareness of the dedication, leadership, and exemplary pediatric health care provided by the devoted women and men who care for America's schoolchildren. The sophisticated medical health care required in schools today can only be delivered by qualified professional school personnel, and that challenge is met by having a school nurse in every school facility.