Nurses write books about their experiences or they write books for educational purposes. Inside the ICU: A Nursing Perspective is one of those rare books that combine these 2 types of books. There are 20 chapters and some short stories interjected between chapters that Stenrose calls “Potpourri.” Each chapter has a particular focus, for example, touring the intensive care unit (ICU) or beginning as an ICU nurse. The progression of topics is similar to the progression of a career—from the first days working in the ICU to the application of those experiences to one’s personal life.
Each chapter begins with a short clinical explanation of a topic, such as organ donation, followed by the story of a personal experience. Some chapters flow back and forth between the clinical explanations and stories to demonstrate the topic. Any nurse who has worked in an ICU will identify with the information and the...