Nursey Reads: Trauma Junkie

I love reading books and I especially love when they are written by nurses. Trauma Junkie: Memoirs of an Emergency Flight Nurse by Janice Hudson was an absolute thriller. I picked it up at my local library and finished it in one day. Janice shares her stories of being both an emergency room nurse and emergency flight nurse. Her stories are so captivating that you feel like you were at the scene with them. A few of them even had me tearing up. All in all it reminded me why I love nursing so much!

Here are two of my favorite parts of the book.

• On one of her flight calls there is a man pinned in an accident for a couple of hours. As he is losing conciousness,  Janice cradles his head in her arms and quietly talks to him about nothing. She states that she wanted him to know someone was there for him. After he recovers, the man gets to thank her and states that he was scared. However, he knew he would be safe because she was there. 

Doesn't that just pull on your heart strings? I always tell people I love nursing because I get to be there when people are scared and provided comfort in such simple ways. Although Janice was monitoring his breathing, pulses, the O2 tank, and IV fluids, she was mostly being another body next to him for comfort. I just love this!

• Another call that made an impact was one for a drowning. Janice states that most of these calls get called off for multiple reasons.  A husband and wife were boating when the husband fell into the water. The wife unable to pull him back in watches her husband sink as help arrives. When the helicopter arrives the wife is standing ashore watching the efforts. The crew is pretty sure the husband is dead and Janice turns her focus to the wife. 

I think this story was a great reminder of how nursing is not only about our patients, but it also incorporates the family. Although the wife was not kind and welcoming to Janice in the beginning ultimately she helps her comes to terms of the reality.

 Janice surely has all the nursing qualities I strive for. I recommend you check this mighty nurse out. Leave a comment on what your favorite reads are.