Looking for the perfect book to your reading list? We got you covered! We made a list of books that will keep not only for Locum Nurses but also for anyone working in the healthcare industry hooked. Written by real nurses, reading these books will make you dive into the mental, emotional, and often complex lives of being a Locum Nurses.
We are sure that after you put these books down, you’ll end up feeling more connected to your profession in the healthcare industry. This collection of stories and personal memoirs sheds light on the more personal parts of nursing. It gives its readers a deeper understanding of what Locum Nurses go through day-to-day. Moreover, it covers the emotional ups and downs and the challenges they face in their careers and personal lives. The list includes-
1. Notes on Nursing: What it is, and What it is not – Florence Nightingale
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Rating:
746 ratings (4.6 stars)
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About the book:
This book was about how Nightingale trained other nurses to become a professional healthcare worker. Also, Nightingale nurse was responsible for improving hospital conditions in the war, for example the ventilation, heating and many more issues with the environment. In this book she even talked about the guide to taking care of sick patients at home which was written in a simple, direct language for readers to understand.
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About the Author:
Florence Nightingale is recognised as becoming the first professional British nurse and the creator of modern nursing during the Crimean War in Scutari. Nightingale was given the nickname “The Lady with the Lamp” due to her compassionate treatment of the patients and dedication.
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Review:
A must read for any nurse
“A great short easy reader which reflects all that is necessary for health in nursing including the psychology of nurse and patient. She focuses on the need for acute observation of individual cases while dealing with the commonest obstacles to regaining health – fresh air, sunlight, cleanliness, noise et al. It was a delight to read, not just for the need for nurses to be professional without forced recourse to academic qualification – but for the English of her day and her patent frustration with ideas of nursing being ‘goodness’ or refuge from disappointed love. Nursing is tough and not for the idle or faint hearted.” – L. Matheson
2. The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients’ Lives – Theresa Brown
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Rating:
811 ratings (4.7 stars)
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About the book:
The Shift is all about the life that happens within just one day on a busy hospital cancer ward. It talks about spending 12 hour shifts where lives can be lost, decisions which are made on life changing treatments and dreams which are fulfilled. This book is based on real life experiences which were faced by the author herself.
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About the Author:
Theresa Brown is a registered nurse and a contributor to the New York Times. Her first ever book was Critical Care where she talks about her past life. She is also an American Clinical Nurse. She holds a PhD as well.
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Review:
This is hospital nursing
“I’m a retired RN who spent much of my career in the hospital caring for cancer patients. I still have dreams about not getting everything done. The author hit the nail on the head describing a typical shift: the constant reshuffling of priorities, the extra time required by admissions and discharges, the panicky feeling of not getting back to your sickest patient as often as you should, and not having time for a lunch break. I devoured this book and hope it doesn’t increase the frequency of my nightmares of feeling like I just can’t get it all done. A great read.” – Unknown
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3. First Year Nurse: Wisdom, Warnings and What I Wish I’d Known My First 100 Days on the Job – Barbara Arnoldussen
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Rating:
460 ratings (4.4 stars)
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About the book:
This book is based on the first 100 days at a new job as a nurse which can be challenging to face. There is a variety of advice and personal information based on a nurse’s first year on the job. The book is filled with the wisdom and warnings given by multiple nurses who were on the job.
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About the Author:
Barbara Arnoldussen is an educator and a writer. She has been teaching for eight years in a university and was a contributing author to Nursing: A Concept-Based Approach to Learning.
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Review:
This book is perfect for the new grad nurse to ease nerves
This is a great book for any new nurse fresh out of nursing school! It provides many great tips through surviving your first nursing profession. I enjoyed reading all of the funny stories and little tidbits that experienced nurses provide in the book. What’s nice is that there are nurses from all specialties, so you will get a wide array of comments and experiences from many types of nurses. I recommend this for any nurse (new or experienced) who might need a good laugh or a reminder of why they became a nurse. This would be a great gift for any graduating nursing student! – Andrea
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4. The Language of Kindness: A Nurse’s Story – Christie Watson
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Ratings:
1,992 ratings (4.6 stars)
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About the book:
This is an extremely intimate and poignant book through which Watson opens the doors of the hospital and shares its many secrets. She takes the readers on a journey through the corridors of the hospitals to visit some of her unforgettable patient wards. A few of them being the neonatal ward and the cancer ward.
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About the Author:
Christie Watson is a British author and retired nurse. She has been the winner of Costa First Novel Award in 2011. She worked as a nurse for 20 years and was a writer part – time. She retired to concentrate on writing after combining the professions for a long time.
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Review:
Beautifully written & moving account of life as an NHS nurse
“After reading this book I first wanted to hug my children, then my parents, then a nurse. Christie Watson’s story of her 20+ years working as a nurse within the NHS is beautifully, almost poetically written, yet is easily accessible & engaging. Through stories of individual patients, and looking back on the history of nursing, Christie encourages us to look more closely at a profession we will all encounter in our lives, either as a patient ourselves, or visiting a loved one in hospital. Nursing is undoubtedly an incredible profession to work in, but we must also understand that at times it is a very difficult job, both physically and emotionally. This is an incredible book that everyone should read. Thank goodness for our NHS and thank goodness for nurses.” – CS George
5. I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out: True Stories of Becoming a Nurse – Lee Gutkind
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Ratings:
1,020 ratings (4.7 Stars)
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About the book:
This book is a collection of essays and true narratives given by various nurses. It reflects on the dynamism and diversity of Locum Nurses who often provide the first line of patient care. The book reveals many stories from different nurses who were in different stages of their careers. They reveal stories from incidents such as the first births and deaths they encountered. They also give accounts of what keeps them in the industry despite the long, gruelling hours and how they get through them.
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About the Author:
Lee Gutkind is an American speaker, writer and founder of the literary journal called Creative Non – fiction. He has edited or written more than 30 books which cover a wide range of subjects ranging from motorcycle subculture, child and adolescent mental illnesses to organ transplants.
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Review:
Strong does not begin to reflect the work nurses do
“This is an amazing selection of essays written by nurses, ranging from fears of newly-trained Locum Nurses, to the reflections of those with decades of experience. I will never look at a nurse the same again. That said by a physical therapist who has worked alongside nurses and already appreciates their risking their own health and wellness while caring for others, usually in an overworked, under-paid environment. In addition, I suggest this book as a must-read, for patients, family members, and other caregivers so we can all improve in our care and comfort of others.” – Doranne Long, PT, MS
6. A Nurse’s Story: My Life in A&E During the Covid Crisis – Louis Curtis
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Ratings:
978 ratings (4.5 Stars)
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About the book:
Louis Curtis writes about her time as a newly qualified advanced clinical practitioner who needed to start mankind life or death decisions as the covid pandemic hit. She talks about the stress which the NHS had to face and the toll which the job started taking on her. She also talks about the effects of lockdown on society which the staff in A&E had to face. This book also shines a light on the compassion of nurses during such hard times.
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About the Author:
Louise Curtis is an advanced clinical practitioner at an A&E in a trauma centre in the midlands. She has a BA in theology. She was a nurse in the emergency department for eight years, working both as a staff nurse and deputy sister. She has volunteered abroad in South Africa, Thailand, Uganda and Ethiopia, caring for disabled orphans, HIV, and trauma patients. She was due to complete a MSc in advanced clinical practice in September 2020 (pandemic depending).
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Review:
Amazing account of an A&E’s struggle against the first global pandemic since 1918.
“An amazing insight into an A & E department struggling to cope with the deluge of Covid-19 and the dedication of the Health Care Professionals there trying to keep their own families safe, providing exceptional care and keeping each other’s morale up. The depth of emotions as incidents are described is written in a clear flowing style. A must read for all those who still doubt.” – Mac.
Through these books, you gain an insight into the lives of a large number of nurses and journeys. They belong to different specialities and have had completely different journeys from each other. You can read these books and find yourself wanting to try out a completely different speciality as the journey of that particular author in that specialty inspired you as a Locum Nurses. There are various forms of nursing specialties such as a Registered General Nurse, a Mental Health Nurse, a Community Nurse or even an A&E Nurse. You can even work as a locum nurse in all of these specialties to find your passion in one of them.
You can register to be a Locum Nurses at a locum agency in the UK. One of the best in the business is Mylocum. If you are looking to expand your career, find your true passion and have work – life balance, Mylocum is the place for you. Register with us immediately using the link below and start your career as a locum nurse instantly.
There are various openings for locum nurses in different fields. We have openings for General Nurses, Mental Health Nurses etc. Register with us today: click here
