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anabel_unker 's review for:
Zero to Ten: Nursing on the Floor
by Fiction › General
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity.*
WARNING: mentions of abortion and death in this review
As a nurse myself, I'm always excited to read memoirs of other RN's-- I especially enjoy comparing modern hospitals to those in the past (even if the past is only twenty years ago, a lot changes!). ZERO TO TEN was no exception. Set primarily from the 1970s to 1990s (if I did my math correctly), Patricia Taylor is able to give the viewer a broken-down version of what working in a hospital was like as a nurse. She does a wonderful job of simplifying complex medical jargon, making this book perfect for someone not in the medical field, but interested in the subject.
However, I have several fundamental problems with this book. The writing was very simplistic, almost juvenile at times-- a grown woman reflecting on her professional career should not use "like" as frequently as Taylor did. The language made me lose a lot of respect for a woman who very obviously had a successful career as a RN, even if this writing style was an attempt to hark back on her younger years.
The author also made me, as both a reader and fellow nurse, incredibly uncomfortable with how many patients and doctors she described as handsome or attractive (even going as far as assuring the readers she was not in a sexual relationship with a gay man dying of AIDS).
And, on a more personal note, it bothered me that Taylor did not take the time to explain why the outdated medical treatments she describes are dangerous by today's standards-- it felt as though, upon reflection, she simply shrugged her shoulders and said "oh well" after describing a terrible event. It's important to explain to readers why the third-trimester abortion described is now illegal (and WAS illegal at the time) and horrific by any health care standard. ZERO TO TEN touched on topics such as palliative care, cancer patients, a sudden and violent patient death, a possible murder (?), and the abuse of a psychiatric patient; but all of these incredibly difficult topics were barely discussed and treated with a disturbing laissiez-faire attitude.
On a closing note, I applaud Taylor for writing this book-- it's not an easy feat, and it's certainly not easy to look back at often painful memories as a bedside nurse. But as a reader and nurse, I cannot recommend this book.
WARNING: mentions of abortion and death in this review
As a nurse myself, I'm always excited to read memoirs of other RN's-- I especially enjoy comparing modern hospitals to those in the past (even if the past is only twenty years ago, a lot changes!). ZERO TO TEN was no exception. Set primarily from the 1970s to 1990s (if I did my math correctly), Patricia Taylor is able to give the viewer a broken-down version of what working in a hospital was like as a nurse. She does a wonderful job of simplifying complex medical jargon, making this book perfect for someone not in the medical field, but interested in the subject.
However, I have several fundamental problems with this book. The writing was very simplistic, almost juvenile at times-- a grown woman reflecting on her professional career should not use "like" as frequently as Taylor did. The language made me lose a lot of respect for a woman who very obviously had a successful career as a RN, even if this writing style was an attempt to hark back on her younger years.
The author also made me, as both a reader and fellow nurse, incredibly uncomfortable with how many patients and doctors she described as handsome or attractive (even going as far as assuring the readers she was not in a sexual relationship with a gay man dying of AIDS).
And, on a more personal note, it bothered me that Taylor did not take the time to explain why the outdated medical treatments she describes are dangerous by today's standards-- it felt as though, upon reflection, she simply shrugged her shoulders and said "oh well" after describing a terrible event. It's important to explain to readers why the third-trimester abortion described is now illegal (and WAS illegal at the time) and horrific by any health care standard. ZERO TO TEN touched on topics such as palliative care, cancer patients, a sudden and violent patient death, a possible murder (?), and the abuse of a psychiatric patient; but all of these incredibly difficult topics were barely discussed and treated with a disturbing laissiez-faire attitude.
On a closing note, I applaud Taylor for writing this book-- it's not an easy feat, and it's certainly not easy to look back at often painful memories as a bedside nurse. But as a reader and nurse, I cannot recommend this book.