Nursing America

Nursing America

In 2004 I spent a large part of a year researching for a television series in the Regional Medical Centre, Memphis, Tennessee. The TV series never happened but what I saw and the people I met made up for a compelling story - and this is it.

It was published only in the USA, but, as always, you can buy it on Amazon.

This title stands out for its timeliness and urban perspective... well written and enjoyable to read.

Library Journal

Eight nurses from varied specialties are brought to life in this decidedly unsentimental look at a public health facility, as Balfour follows them around in the trauma, burn and adult special care units at the Regional Medical Center ("the Med") in Memphis, Tenn... Balfour, a television journalist and author of Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose (8), captures the tough but dedicated staff, often letting them speak for themselves, and... the portraits are sharp and well observed.
Publishers’ Weekly

If ever there were undeniable proof that the human spirit can overcome any adversity, Balfour's account of the daily routine (using the term loosely) of the nurses of the Regional Medical Center ("the Med") of Memphis, Tennessee, contains it. As one nurse says, "When people come to a hospital, they ask for a doctor. Nobody ever came to a hospital to see a nurse." Yet as Balfour graphically demonstrates, it is often nurses--from the adult special care nurse who speaks plainly to AIDS patients to the "completely contained" operating-room nurse--who make the crucial differences for patients. A compelling look at the realities of public hospitals everywhere.

Booklist

Balfour is a good listener, and the most powerful parts of his book are the stories and commentary of nurses who explain some of what they do... At a time when understanding of nursing remains dangerously low, this engaging, nurse-centered book has much to offer.
Centre for Nursing Advocacy