Something for the Pain: Compassion and Burnout in the ER [Paperback]

Paul Austin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2009

“What makes this inspiring medical memoir stand out is the courageous measure of Austin’s humanity.”—Publishers Weekly

In this eye-opening account of life in the ER, Paul Austin recalls how the daily grind of long, erratic shifts and endless hordes of patients with sad stories sent him down a path of bitterness and cynicism. Gritty, powerful, and ultimately redemptive, Something for the Pain is a revealing glimpse into the fragility of compassion and sanity in the industrial setting of today’s hospitals.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With a relentlessly honest look at modern emergency medicine, Austin, a former firefighter now living in Durham, N.C., writes in his debut book of his transformation to a highly capable ER doctor struggling to stay one jump ahead of death in the crowded critical care ward. The book begins deftly with Austin, a sleep-deprived physician, trying to avoid mistakes stemming from fatigue by relying on his instincts, frequently both skill and luck, to treat patients with gunshot wounds, brain tumors, asthma, heart ailments and general problems. In a narrative blur of flashbacks, he tells of his career as a firefighter before landing in medical school, which was followed by an internship at a local hospital and marriage to a lovely nurse and having a family. What makes this inspiring medical memoir stand out is the courageous measure of Austin's humanity in taking on the endless weight of suffering, and what he becomes to his co-workers, his patients, his family and his community. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Starred Review. This vivid memoir of an ER doctor will make readers by turns cry and cringe. A definite page-turner and a riveting debut. (Library Journal )

Austin gives a stunning account of the chaos of the emergency room, the constant drama of urgent situations calling for immediate and decisive action. He pulls us inside the chronic exhaustion ER docs fight against and fully engages us in the difficult juggling doctors do. (Boston Sunday Globe )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 Reprint edition (September 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393337790
• ISBN-13: 978-0393337792
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For twenty-five years, Paul Austin has worked in emergencies - first as a firefighter, and more recently, as an ER doctor. His book, "Something For the Pain," is about the way his job almost wrecked his family.

It turns out, that working rotating shifts in a busy ER can make you, and the people around you, miserable. Paul had to learn, sometimes the hard way, that he had to take care of himself in order to take care of his family and patients.

Paul was thrilled when "Something For the Pain," was selected for Durham Reads Together, a program sponsered by the Durham Public Library, in which the entire community is encouraged to read the same book. The program runs from October 3 to November 1, 2009. For further information please visit the Durham Public Library Website.

Please also visit Paul's website: www.paulethanaustin.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest but Hopeful, August 19, 2008

By 

Former ER Doc (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Something for the Pain: One Doctor's Account of Life and Death in the ER (Hardcover)

As a former ER doc, one of the things that drives me insane is reading books where the physicians are so compassionate, I wouldn't recognize them among the dozens (hundreds?) of docs I've worked with over the years. Sure, we're all nice to little old ladies from nice families but it's the six sigma guy who can be that way with the drug addict in the middle of the night. Outsiders - our friends and family even - will never understand the daunting nature of this profession. This is an even handed narrative of the frustrating day to day work that emergency docs (and nurses) do, usually without thanks. Good job, Paul, for telling it like it is.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From an Emergency Room RN, August 26, 2008

By 

Patty Sawyer "pattabug" (Durham, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Something for the Pain: One Doctor's Account of Life and Death in the ER (Hardcover)

This book was refreshing. Dr Austin allows the reader to see what it is really like for a person who works with life and death every day. I was thrilled that this was not just another medical book, but one about a real person and the joys and struggles he faced. Anyone who has ever worked in an ED will be able to relate to the frustration and emotional feelings he dealt with. This book made me laugh but it also brought me to the brink of tears. It was a great read and I am recommending it to all my friends, especially the ones who don't work in health care. I certainly hope he has another book in him!!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Honest Look into the Life of an Emergency Room Physician, August 23, 2008

By 

Frederick S. Goethel "wildcatcreekbooks" (Central Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Something for the Pain: One Doctor's Account of Life and Death in the ER (Hardcover)

The vast majority of books written by doctors are filled with details about cases and diseases; rarely touching on the struggles these individuals face at home due to extended work hours, stressful decision making and sleep deprivation. It was refreshing to read a book written by a doctor that examined his personal, as well as professional, life.

In "Something for the Pain", Dr. Austin exams cases that bothered him, but rather than examine exactly what when wrong with the case, he examines how that case made him feel and why. Not just medically, but mentally as well. He also takes a deep and very honest look into how his job created problems with his home life. Along the way we get an insight into life in an ER.

During a volunteer career as a firefighter, with a stint in ambulances, I can state that the book not only sounds true, but caused my nerves to twitch just a little. He hit some feeling and emotions dead on, and I have to admit that I hoped these were feelings I had buried. His discussion of treating drunks was as close to real as I have ever seen.

This is a wonderful book with a lot of insight to offer. My only complaint was that the chapters didn't line up chronologically, so when I was trying to compare work with his home relationships, I occasionally had problems. This is a pretty simple thing and could be fixed by changing the chapter order. Overall, an excellent read and maybe a book we all need to read before we get caught in the machinery of the ER.