Nurses and Their Patients

You will meet many interesting people in these 12 short stories based on my experiences as a community health nurse. The individuals, their families, and their communities are all different. The one thing they have in common is their caring and sense of commitment to themselves, their families, and their neighborhoods. Melissa is a teenager with Down Syndrome. She attends a school for children with special needs where she meets a school nurse, Mr. Dave. He talks with her about the meaning of love, and she follows his advice when she tries out for the Special Olympics and meets Jimmy. Carol is a middle-aged wife who struggles to maintain a semblance of a normal life while caring for her husband with Alzheimer's Disease. At the same time, Allison is in Fairbanks, Alaska, managing a primary care clinic. Her creative problem solving helps her deal with the health care needs of her community. The stories are fictionalized components of real people. They have been written to inspire and show the heroic efforts people make to care for themselves and others. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the health and well being of individuals and their families and communities.