Where Have All the Nurses Gone? The Impact of the Nursing Shortage on American Healthcare

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Summary: Who is going to answer your call light?
Review: Excellent book!! As a nurse for 30 years, I have experienced the drastic changes in healthcare. There will always be patients, will there be enough nurses to care for them? Would the CEO of the hospital want to be a patient in his facility that has cut back on the nurses, increased the nurse to patient ratio, and requires the staff to work overtime to cover the next shift....I think not. I support the efforts to obtain more nursing educators and scholarships to increase nursing school enrollments. But more needs to be done to keep the experienced nurses at the bedside. Congratulations to Ms. Satterly on writing such an enlighting and informed book about why there is a nursing shortage. This should be mandatory reading for all hospital/corporate executives.

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Summary: Where Have All The Nurses Gone?
Review: Faye Satterly has written a wonderful book - a blend of nurse's stories, statistical information about what has contributed to the nursing shortage, and information about the lay person's responsibility in light of the shortage: health promotion, accountability, etc. Satterly's passion for nursing is evident, as she weaves her own stories and struggles into the book in a humorous manner. It is delightful and insightful reading for the health care professional or the lay person.

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Summary: This book isn't just for nurses
Review: I noticed the word "humanizing" in another reader's review, and I feel that is the perfect word to describe this book. Satterly gives us a glimpse into the world of healthcare and its many issues. She poses thought-provoking questions about the current healthcare crisis. It is an easy book to read even if you are, like me, completely unfamiliar with the terms used in the medical world. I will look at my nurse differently the next time I have to go to the ER.

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Summary: a refreshing and up to date snapshot of nurses and nursing
Review: Ms. Satterly's book about the struggles facing nurses, patients, and the profession of nursing speak to many of us who have experienced them firsthand. The book presents a delightful picture of the reasons that many of us choose to remain committed to the profession even after 'two decades of service'. Many of us believe it is a privilege to provide nursing care, and we are grateful for the ability to work side by side with expert nursing colleagues.
The book documents many of the issues facing the profession, and provides thoughtful suggestions for how we all might be part of the solution.
The book is not just for nurses, however. Patients and families might also benefit from the themes and stories that are provided. Anyone who might require healthcare might be interested in what the profession is facing. It is a quick and easy read.

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Summary: A Must Read For Everyone
Review: Satterly has done a remarkable job humanizing the current issues surrounding the nursing shortage. This book shares personal accounts of the real life impact of the shortage on the toll it takes on today's nurses, tomorrow's and the result on our society.
This is a quick read but will stay with the reader for days as one considers the ramifications for all of us.

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Summary: Analysis of crisis in nursing today by insightful insider
Review: This book is a very readable, beautifully written analysis of the crisis inside the walls of inpatient hospital units today. Satterly takes the reader into the frontlines of the intensive, often conflicting demands placed on the floor nurses, the primary caregivers to the acutely -ill patients who meet the stringent criteria for hospital admission these days.

"Where Have All the Nurses Gone" should be required reading for all nursing students, all medical students, all hospital administrators, and for any of us with a personal experience of hospitalization. Despite painting a vivid picture of the hard work, competing priorities, and lack of appreciation faced by the frontline caregivers, Satterly provides a thoughtful blueprint for creation of positive changes.

In, additon the book provides timely information about recent changes in healthcare, including updates on Advance Directives and HIPAA. The appendix also provides excellent resources for nurses and others interested in health care.

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Summary: Left wondering...?
Review: While I appreciate the efforts put into, "Where Have All The Nurses Gone"?...I come away feeling a little empty handed. Satterly starts out with compelling stories of nurses struggling with their day to day, crippling workloads, describes some of the reasons for the errosion of healthcare, explains some of the importance of what it is nurses do and tells us something most nurses know about [but, ignore at great price] and that is, "The patient most in need of attention is the nursing profession itself."
There was no clear picture on ideas of how to recruit & retain nurses, no explanation of accountability of the healthcare management/government...or suggestions on how to correct the undoing.
Although preventative health (patients looking after their weight, blood pressure and so forth) is very important...all these stats and listings of groups/organizations just didn't "solve" anything for me.