Recommended by: Stephan J. Macaluso, Librarian
Call Number: Stacks RT34 .B34 2005
UK-based TV producer and journalist Balfour shadowed the nursing staff at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis, Tennessee (“The Med”) for more than a year and a half beginning in 2003. The Med treats a disproportionate share of the region’s crime victims, suicide attempts, high-risk deliveries and accident casualties. Many patients cannot possibly pay for the services they receive. One thing that makes The Med so special is its nurses, whose knowledge, optimism and sense of humor enable them to heal others while coping with the trauma they see each shift. Balfour introduces us to their families, their spiritual lives and their hopes for the future; we learn why they stay so long at The Med. Despite different backgrounds, they all display an inspiring level of caring and joy in their work. An enlightening look at the urban poor, the state of American healthcare and the diversity of the nursing profession.
