Being Human

Our guest today is Theresa Brown, oncology nurse, columnist, and author of The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients’ Lives. Theresa began her career as a writer in 2008 when she published an essay in the New York Times about a dramatic and emotional experience she had with a dying patient. The piece received national attention, and was anthologized in the Best American Science Writing and The Best American Medical Writing in 2009. Since then, she has written dozens of pieces about nursing, and has become a leading voice for nurses and nurse advocacy across the country. Her first book, Critical Care was published in 2010, and is widely used as a textbook in nursing schools.  Theresa’s writing frequently pulls back the curtain on the experiences and challenges that nurses face in their daily work. Sometimes this reveals frustrating working conditions, or difficulties dealing with hospital administration; but just as frequently, it shows the strength, skill, and commitment that nurses need to provide th