Medical Treason [Hardcover]

Joyce Strom-Paiken (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1988

A page-turner/thriller about a dedicated nurse who enters a dangerous underworld of crime and deception when she discovers the doctors and nurses at her hospital, including the man she loves, are deeply involved in a drug ring and the police ask her to become an undercover agent.

However, it is also a story of hope -- of Ms. Strom-Paikin's subsequent work with recovering nurses and her efforts to spearhead drug rehabilitation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a composite of actual experiences, the story of medical personnel impaired by drug abuse is told in lackluster, plodding prose by a nurse who became embroiled in a dangerous entrapment scenario in an unidentified urban hospital. Strom-Paikin, now in private practice in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., shows nurses and doctors using drugs to cope with their demanding lives, endangering their patients by malfeasance, engaging in criminal trafficking. Elements of the story are collusion in high places, professional denial, even the murder of a colleague. Together with an undercover agent/ doctor with whom she had an affair, Strom-Paikin brought to light a "conspiracy of silence" in the medical profession with regard to impaired colleagues.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This is an exciting first-person account of a young nurse's involvement in countering the underground drug trade in a large urban hospital. In addition to coping with her own insecurities on the job, Strom-Paikin became aware of this drug trade and, ultimately, acted as an undercover agent for the local police, aiding in the gathering of evidence against the hospital staff involved. Along the way, Strom-Paikin recognized her own frailities and needs and made the momentous decision to leave hospital nursing. She has gone on to receive certification as a psychiatric nurse clinician, and, in her home state of New Jersey, has seen the start of support groups for hospital professionals with drug addictions. This will make an important addition to high school, public, and nursing school libraries. Highly recommended.
- Erna Chamberlain, SUNY at Albany Libs.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: New Horizon Press; 1 edition (January 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882820435
• ISBN-13: 978-0882820439
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,000,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RIVETTING!, June 2, 2001

By 

Suzette Greger (Suffolk, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medical Treason (Hardcover)

This book is a great read for lay people and nurses alike! I couldn't put it down...both times that I read it. I am a licensed practical nurse and shared this book with many of my co-workers and they had the same response as I did. This would make a great movie! You can't go wrong with this book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Medical Treason - Where Else is This Happening?, October 28, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (USA - Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medical Treason (Mass Market Paperback)

This book should NOT be out of print. It is by far the most intriguing,inspiring,frightening story of one woman's act of courage. This new RN could have walked away from a terrifying, life-threatening situation; but with perserverence and raw guts, she risks her life - for her integrity will allow her no other option. Absolutely the best Medical Nonfiction work I have read, and I have read them all. God bless this woman.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your time, May 7, 2005

By 

J. Watt "luv2read" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Medical Treason (Hardcover)

This is possibly the worst book ever written, on so many levels.

I have worked as an RN for over 10 years in critical care and open heart surgery units at 3 large urban hospitals. Never once have I seen any of the behavior such as the author describes - diverting narcotics and other drugs, organized illegal drug trafficking (with the Mafia, no less), working while under the influence of alcohol and other drugs...the absurdities mounted up page after page. And here's our plucky heroine, who's going to singlehandedly undo this entire criminal enterprise.

Had the book been well-written or showed any signs of having been proofread, it may have been slightly more credible. However, the prose and narrative were reminiscent of Perils of Pauline colliding with Nancy Drew; spelling, grammar, and typographical errors abounded; obviously unrealistic, predictable, and cliched dialogue and situations occurred on just about every page; and the disjointed and inaccurate descriptions of medical situations she encounters, along with the way names of equipment and drugs used in typical ICUs are misspelled and used in the wrong context make me wonder whether she ever set foot in an ICU.

As an example, she describes an incident in which her "boyfriend", a surgeon, deliberately prescribes a certain drug to a patient with a history of illegal drug use. The patient has just undergone surgery, and the surgeon intentionally uses the particular medicine named because he knows it will cause severe pain and withdrawal symptoms. She doesn't confront him about his behavior, and waits several hours before contacting a different surgeon to get an order for effective pain medicine. She then witnesses another RN substituting salt water for the second medicine so the other RN could steal the narcotic. This is written in an offhand, cavalier way which was horrifying. Thank goodness it was unbelievable, because if the author actually witnessed these occurrences and took no action, she should be prosecuted as well. Her "boyfriend" also used illegal drugs including cocaine openly and frequently, and encouraged her to do the same. It turns out at the end (don't read the rest if you want to keep up the "suspense")that he is actually an undercover cop. Please.

If this book were not described by the author in sanctimonious terms as being a factual account of real occurrences, it would not be such a serious matter. I know there are impaired physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, but the blatant criminal actions the author describes are ridiculous exaggerations and fabrications used to sell books. (I paid $0.01 for mine, but shouldn't have wasted money on the shipping and handling.)


This woman should be ashamed of herself for eroding the public's trust and creating even more fear in hospitalized people. She owes the entire nursing profession an apology. Those of us who have stuck it out in hospitals work very hard to relieve pain and care for our patients. The real treason is this so-called nurse trying to make money by grossly exaggerating and/or fabricating this book.