Summer is a great time to catch up on reading - the days are longer, some of us take some time off from work, and things seem to slow down a bit. If you're like me, you've got a list of reading recommendations from friends and colleagues that you've been planning to read "someday." Well, as I prepare for a little beach time, I'm organizing and prioritizing my reading list. Have you read any of these titles? Or are any on your to-read list? 

For students and new nurses transitioning to practice...

Anatomy of a Super Nurse: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming Nursey
Kati Kleber, BSN, RN, CCRN
This is a revised version of Becoming Nursey: From Code Blues to Code Browns, How to Care for Your Patients and Yourself, which I’ve read several times. I look forward to catching up on the new additions that Kleber added to this must-read for students and new nurses. 

Intensive Care; The Story of a Nurse
Echo Heron
As a new RN in the ICU, I can remember reading this book and its sequel, Condition Critical; The Story of a Nurse Continues, many times! These true stories that are recounted in this book shed a light on what is happening every day in the lives of nurses and the patients we care for. 
 

For inspiration...

Reflections on Nursing
American Journal of Nursing
These personal accounts from actual nurses are inspiring and demonstrate the true work that nurses do every day. Reading these stories will help you remember why you became a nurse. 

Nightingale's Vision: Advancing the Nursing Profession Beyond 2020
Sue Johnson, PhD, RN, NE-BC
Just released, this book features a look at the status of each recommendation from the 2010 Institute of Medicine (IOM) Future of Nursing report. As “an essential reference to guide nurses in the advancement of their profession in the next decade and beyond,” it sounds like a must-read for all of us. 

 

Strictly for pleasure...

My Sister’s Keeper
Jodi Picoult
This one is recommended by a nurse friend, and while I remember being interested when this movie was released, I never did see it. Picoult is the author of 28 novels, and I am planning on picking up this one, and maybe a few others, soon.

Firefly Lane
Kristin Hannah
This is my favorite book and I’ve read it several times – and I will be bringing it along on my vacation again! A tale of friendship – and its ups and downs – that may remind you of some relationships in your own life. There is a sequel, Fly Away, that you’ll want to check out too!

What other books do you recommend?