Intensive Care: The Story of a Nurse Book

Intensive Care: The Story of a Nurse by Echo Heron was the first book about nurses I read after becoming a Registered Nurse. At the time i found it daunting...a seemingly impossible job. Echo Heron told the story with warmth and compassion but also in complete candor. She had done it, not because it was easy or comfortable to do but because she was compelled to succeed in giving care and making a positive difference in the world around her.

Some twenty years later I have reread the book and I see it through completely different eyes. Acute hospital nursing is a calling, a mission, a way of life, not just a career. Anyone who would go into the field of nursing solely for making money or to have a prestigious career, I feel, should look for something else. As Echo Heron points out, it is life vs. death, It affects your lifestyle, your family, and takes over your body, mind, and soul. Not everyone can or should go into the field of nursing.

I recommend this book for those considering making nursing their life's work, those looking to make a difference in their world,and to those who have the gift of compassion. The stories in this book are true...they happen to nurses every day.