The Language of Kindness: A Nurse's Story

While the novel is a personal story of a 20 year career in nursing it is not intimately personal except in relation to the death of the author's father and the adoption of her son, the former which involved her experiencing nursing as the daughter of the patient and the latter which involved the action of kindness which is the heart of nursing for her. There is anger against the budget cut or other lack of funding to provide basic levels of staffing for NHS patients and at the sneaking privatization putting paying wards in already overfull NHS facilities. There are horrific scenes which are detailed but not dwelt upon. There are few miracle recoveries. And the indirectly posed question to the reader of how much kindness they give the show more world. There are tear jerking sections, and hope is somewhat limited. It is an articulate novel of praise for nurses and nursing, and a plea for kindness. show less

Watson writes of her studying to be and her experience as a nurse. She works in different hospitals, various departments describing how challenging, detailed and demanding patient care is. And how a tiny mistake can make a huge difference in outcomes. She writes of the variances in treating babies and children, adults, seniors and the disabled.

The Language of Kindness while a book about a profession is very personal because nursing is personal. Watson shows us how the bond between patient and nurse is critical. Nurses are required to pay attention to details, stay attuned to patients' bodily changes, be ready to act or not when necessary, keep family members updated, and much more.

The Language of Kindness is very graphic, earnestly show more written; plainly illustrating the continous level of kindness and care nurses provide their patients resulting in significant improvements in health. Nurses become personally vested in their patients and families and why they suffer burn out. In crowded hospitals, they skip meals, have little time to stop to use the bathroom, or take a relaxing break putting their own health at risk.

Do we appreciate them? If so, we must provide better pay and support. show less

Watson structured the story according to her growth as a nurse, rather than around case studies, which is kind of interesting. Parts of the book can be dull, particularly when she cited old texts. This is when it reads like a textbook. But the book is saved by accounts of her personal experience, such as her father's illness and the visit of a mother to the mortuary, at which she was present.

I learned quite a bit about nursing now and through history and I enjoyed her personal anecdotes, but felt the book lacked overall cohesiveness. Was it a history of her own career or was she tracing the need for nursing through the stages of life? Was it a history of nursing as a vocation? Was it an essay on the traits and skills of a good nurse? All of these things were included and were interesting in their own rights, but they were not drawn together and connected into a single narrative.

a very thoughtful and sensitive memoir. watson's book weaves her own personal experiences over 20 years in nursing, while offering readers a look at the less-considered emotional connections nurses develop with their patients. watson begins her training in england at age 17, and the arc of her narrative evolves through the stages of life, which includes within the hospital/healthcare system, and the patients. watson works in paediatrics, emergency, and palliative departments. while i am frequently drawn to medical nonfiction, the focus on kindness and care for others was the aspect of the book that attracted me to it. especially now, when there is so much hatred and chaos going on in the world - it's lovely to find moments of kindness.

Listened to the audio with the author reading. I found her reading voice too slow so did speed it up to 1.25 which I found much more tolerable.
Book itself is interesting and well written with an insight into nursing even for me who works in the NHS and knows a lot of nurses. Recommended.

The author takes us on a trip through her 20 years as a nurse in England. We watch her grow in her skills and share her insights into what makes a great nurse throughout the book. It is a fascinating look at both what goes on in hospitals as well as periodic references into the history of this very difficult but immensely valuable profession. We get to meet many of her most memorable patients as well as her family, particularly her father who died from lung cancer. This was a wonderful book and makes me appreciate the nurses who have taken care of loved ones even more.