Nurse: The True Story of Mary Benjamin, R.N.

Since I am going back to school to become a nurse, I decided to read this book to maybe get a little insight as to what I was getting myself into. It was a wonderful book, I couldn't put it down. I am a big Tv watcher and when I turn the TV off to read my husband asked me if I was feeling ok. I would recommend this book not only to nursing students but to anyone that wants to read a good book. Excellent.

I am a student about to graduate from nursing school. My mom got me this book and I loved it! It was nice to read about situations that she faced as a manager on a med-surg unit. Although the book was written in the 70s, and some things are very different (like nurses not being able to administer medications IVPush) some issues in nursing, good and bad are still applicable. It was a great find.

I first read this as a teenager and briefly considered becoming a nurse because of it. I found it once again at a used-book sale and re-read it to see if it was still as funny, sad, uplifting, hopeful, etc. as I thought it was back then. It was, although a lot of the treatments Ms. Benjamin describes are long obsolete and doctors can get in serious trouble nowadays for acting the way some of the doctors in the book did - screaming at nurses, sexual comments in public, etc. And I saw a copy today at Waldenbooks! 8)

I bought this book at a local store not knowing anything about it, I had went there to look for something else and it caught my eye since I would be starting my first semester of nursing school in a few months. I started to read it but soon had to stop when I got into the hustle and bustle of nursing school. My favorite thing about this book is that it is from a very deeply personal point of view. I didn't buy it for technical knowledge or even the hopes it would give me an inside look at the life of a nurse. It's too old for that, but I have to admit the cover lines, "Doctor's don't keep you alive, I do." caught my attention more than anything. It is finals time now at the end of my first semester of nursing school, and I have just finished the book on my thanksgiving break. I'm glad I did because I felt very inspired and comforted by reading it. Especially now that I too have begun to feel the stress, anger, fear, and lack of confidence that can accompany being new to nursing. My favorite parts of the book were when she got really specific about her opinions on nurse-client relationships, especially relating to death. It's also encouraging to know that since the mid seventies there has been a push to bring more respect to nursing as a profession, and not just a servitude position for weak women to get close to doctors as possible husbands. That of course doesn't apply to me since I am one of few men to go into nursing. I loved reading about how someone in there mid to late twenties enjoys being tested by her job and life, and is still able to grow and change into a better person. I definitely would suggest this as a good book to read for all nursing students, and all nurses, no matter what job title, age, or specialization.

I would recommend this book to any nursing student or new graduate. It deals with nurse-doctor as well as nurse-patient relationships in great detail with descriptions of actual individuals and case histories. While certain things have changed in the 25 years since the book was published, it still makes for informative and entertaining reading.