The struggle to be a nurse

Oncology nurse Theresa Brown, a regular contributor to the Cases section of The New York Times writes today about the emotions and fears she felt when she transitioned from her career as an English professor to her career as a nurse. It is a detailed account of a patient struggling to breathe and a new nurse working to find her footing in a career where nothing is predictable and lives hang in the balance. It is a candid and compelling read about the emotions clinicians rarely disclose but nonetheless influence how clinicians communicate and build relationships with their patients.