Customer Reviews

Nurses On Our Own

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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I thought this book was outstanding. It really showed that anyone can make it. These women had to struggle against a powerful hospital and society's misconceptions about the role of nurses in health care. I was especially intrigued by the adventures Karon and Joy had as independent nurse practicioners. The book gave me a new respect for the nursing profession.

These two nurses and friends were conserative educated nurses who were forced to fight the hospital establishment in order to be patient advocates. They created the first independent nursing practice in the US and became the first nurses ever called Nurse Practicioners. Their husbands played a large part -both were Chicago police officers. One owned a detective agency and the nurses also became investigators. This is a story of transformation of women, jobs, friendships etc. It gives all women a glimpse into the mystique of medicine, hospitals, psychiatric units, movie sets, nursing in an amusement park . These two women started with very different lives-one the mother of four-the other a determined career woman. An accident to one the pregnant one creates opportunities for them in their lives that they never expected and lead them to becoming entrepeneurs, speakers, businesswomen, leaders in nursing, nurses on movie sets and in amusement parks. They treat everyone from the penniless to the multimillionaires from the gold coast to the ghetto in their journey to advance their careers and themselves. One battles with her husband's alcoholism until he becomes a runner. This is a story of success, dreams and relationships. This is a non fiction novel if their were such a thing. It leads you into the homes of patients, doctor's offices,insurance companies, hospitals, occupational and corporate health and various other settings.They meet and treat movie stars, politicians and famous clergy. Their consultant doctor is a replica of "Dr Welby' with a playboy image. They are called modern day Joan of arcs and succeed in their case against a large metropolitan hospital and go on to write this book which was optioned for a tv movie of their characters. You can reach them as I did at 8l5-773-4497.

This was a fascinating story about 2 nurses who longed to use all of their skills and talents to serve their patients/clients, as clearly related in the first review of this book. However, the story is marred by poor editing -- way too much detail about their personal lives in some places (which does not add to the story); and huge gaps in time covered in a short amount of material in other places. I think it took them way too long to get to the heart of the story. However, because they were among the very first to set up independent practice, the story is inspiring to all who want to persevere despite difficult challenges.

Police Wives strike out on an adventure in business as nurses and meet all kinds of people and solve all kinds of problems