THE NIGHT SHIFT - REAL LIFE IN THE HEART OF THE E.R. (DR. BRIAN GOLDMAN)

 

 

Story Description: 

 

HarperCollins|September 3, 2010|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-1-55468-391-8 

 

Dr. Brian Goldman is both an emergency room physician at Mount Sinai and a prominent medical journalist.  Never one to shy away from controversy, Goldman specializes in kicking open the doors to the medical establishment revealing what really goes on behind the scenes – and in the minds of doctors and nurses. 

 

In The Night Shift, Goldman shares his experiences in the witching hours at Mount Sinai Hospital in downtown Toronto.  We meet the kinds of patients who walk into an ER after midnight: late night revellers injured on their way home after last call, teens assaulted in the streets by other teens and a woman who punches another woman out of jealousy over a man.  But Goldman also reveals the emotional, heartbreaking side of everyday ER visits: adult children forced to make life and death decisions about critically ill parents, victims of sexual assault, and mentally ill and homeless patients looking for understanding and a quick fix in the twenty-four hour waiting room.  Written with Goldman’s trademark honesty and with surprising humour, The Night Shift is also a frank look at many issues facing the medical profession today, and offers a highly compelling inside view into an often shrouded world. 

 

My Review: 

 

This was an absolutely phenomenal book!  Dr. Goldman blows the lid off what really goes on inside the Emergency Room for those inquiring minds who want to know.  Goldman is frank, honest and doesn’t mince words about both the good and bad sides of his profession. 

 

The decisions, quick thinking and the speed at which these doctors and nurses often have to work is staggering.  When you’re in the position of trying to save someone’s life you don’t have time to stand around and take a lot of time to think of your best options.  At times, you just have to go with the flow so to speak. 

 

I feel terribly sorry for the mentally ill who are often misunderstood and don’t always get a sympathetic or understanding ear at the emergency department and Goldman admits that.  Some just don’t have the patience to administer to the needs and requirements of these people in society which is sad.  It must be very frustrating for the patient. 

 

The Night Shift was a riveting read and kept me glued from the first page to the last page and quite frankly, I didn’t want it to end.  I wanted more stories.  I’ll definitely be recommending this to friends and family.