Theresa Brown was an English professor at Tufts University. After the birth of her children, she realized she wanted a hands-on job taking care of people. It's a huge change from lecturing and grading papers to administering potent chemotherapy drugs and knowing when to call a code, which is an emergency life-and-death situation. Once she completed her rigorous training and received her license as a registered nurse, Brown became a floor nurse on an oncology/stem cell transplant unit of a large teaching hospital in western Pennsylvania. THE SHIFT, her second book about nursing (following CRITICAL CARE), chronicles one 12-hour shift in a fairly typical work day for Brown.

Brown must be diplomatic, empathetic, patient and, above all, professionally competent while performing her nursing duties. She is totally responsible for the nursing care of four patients whom she monitors very carefully. It's her duty to see that the doctors' orders are set in motion and then carried out to the letter, whether it's something as simple as ordering a low-sodium diet or as complex as transfusing blood or blood products. It is also her responsibility to alert the doctor of any changes or symptoms that need attention. 

"To read Theresa Brown's account of her work is to develop an instant respect and admiration for the nursing profession in general and for Brown in particular.... Anyone who reads THE SHIFT will have a much better understanding of how modern medicine is practiced."

Patients and their families can sometimes be anxious or downright difficult. Being hospitalized with cancer and undergoing its various treatments, some of which have severe side effects and uncertain outcomes, is very stressful for patients and their loved ones. The nurse is the one person whom they rely on for information, encouragement and hard facts since patients generally do not see much of their doctors beyond rounds, a brief consultation, or certain medical procedures performed by them.

Brown has three patients at the beginning of her shift and then is assigned a new admission. Mr. Hampton is in his late 70s and has lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. He will be receiving a very toxic drug that has Brown concerned, given his lack of alertness. Sheila has a blood-clotting disorder and abdominal pain that has not yet been diagnosed, which is a concern. Dorothy is completing her first admission for treatment of leukemia and is awaiting certain lab results that will allow her to be discharged. Candace, the new admission, will be getting a transplant of her own cancer-free cells. She is well known to all the nurses during previous admissions as a bit of a pain because she doesn't trust the nursing staff. She brings her own Clorox wipes and a cadre of friends and family to help her sanitize her room. These four very different patients will keep Brown quite busy during her shift. Their care is complicated, and anything can and might happen to one of them at any time.

When Brown is not with her patients, she is charting electronically into their medical records. She is dealing with various hospital departments’ scheduling procedures and diagnostic tests ordered by the various physicians who look after her four patients. She has no control over when a patient arrives on the floor as a new admission. As always, the patient in medical crisis has top priority. 

To read Theresa Brown's account of her work is to develop an instant respect and admiration for the nursing profession in general and for Brown in particular. Brown gives care above and beyond what is expected, offering readers a fly-on-the wall look at life in a modern-day hospital. Anyone who reads THE SHIFT will have a much better understanding of how modern medicine is practiced. She has put her education and training as a former English professor to excellent use in the writing of this very informative, well-written and interesting book.