June-July 2023 • Volume 17, No. 6
From the Editor
It’s time for our annual summer reading issue, which has morphed in recent years into a multimedia foray that touches on watching and listening as well.
In this issue, we’ve tried to strike a balance between useful exploration, soulful discovery, and diversions that are lighter or downright goofy. Here’s hoping your summer holds a little time to relax in a quiet setting, pour yourself something cool, turn off notifications, and sink into a good story about someone else’s life. Aaah.
Our Student in the Spotlight is Samantha Ochoa, AGACNP-BC, of Lancaster, PA.
Scroll down for jobs we’ve collected for you as well as NIFA’s favorite links.
Enjoy!
Julie Lancaster, Editor
Photo by Shutterstock
Books
Amie Archibald and Sara Fung
2024
From the hosts of the hit podcast The Gritty Nurse (see below), stories of life on the front line. One customer review states, “Sara and Amie . . . expose the grueling pace of nursing school, the impact on us of tender and devastating personal moments with patients, and the real risk to us in the hierarchical and lateral violence and sexism we endure. The Wisdom of Nurses is at once validating and revealing.”
Read more . . .
Frank T. Vertosick Jr., MD
1996
“Instead of offering a collection of bizarre medical cases, brain surgeon Vertosick presents a set of harrowing clinical tales that highlight neurosurgery as risky, messy and often frustrating. The result is a riveting report that shatters the mystique of the brain surgeon as a wizard of technical prowess,” according to Publishers Weekly.
Read more . . .
Rebecca Skloot
2010
“From a single, abbreviated life grew a seemingly immortal line of cells that made some of the most crucial innovations in modern science possible . . . . A fascinating and moving story of medicine and family,” states a review on Amazon. This nonfiction book was a New York Times bestseller and remains an amazing and well-written story.
Read more . . .
Shari J. Ryan
2024
A story about two people living in Germany before, during, and after World War II. One was a German female; the other, a Jewish male. Published just last month, this book of historical fiction by bestselling author Shari J. Ryan is ranked highly on Goodreads and Amazon, with comments like “unputdownable” and “heartbreaking yet hopeful.”
Read more . . .
Movies
An award-winning 2004 made-for-TV movie about the black cardiac pioneer Vivien Thomas (1910–1985) and his complex and volatile partnership with white surgeon Alfred Blalock (1899–1964), the “Blue Baby doctor” who pioneered modern heart surgery. Stream on Max or on YouTube.
Watch the trailer . . .
In a field hospital in Italy, Hana, a nurse from Canada, is caring for a pilot who was horribly burned in a plane wreck; he has no identification and cannot remember his name, so he’s known simply as “the English Patient,” thanks to his accent. In time, Hana begins to piece together the patient’s story from the shards of his memories. Won 9 Academy Awards, including best picture in 1996. Available on many streaming platforms.
Watch the trailer . . .
In this 1943 black-and-white film, a band of Army nurses is bound for Honolulu, until the attack on Pearl Harbor redirects them to Bataan. Led by the plucky Lt. Davidson (Claudette Colbert), the women form a bond that sees them through the horrors of the Japanese offensive and other hardships of war. Paulette Goddard and Veronica Lake co-star in this inspiring, Oscar-nominated story of a seldom explored aspect of World War II.
Stream it here . . .
TV Shows
The Surgeon’s Cut (2020)
Produced by BBC Studios, this docuseries (4 episodes) presents four surgeons from around the world, each with a visionary approach. Their specialties are fetal surgery, neurosurgery, transplant surgery and cardiology. Includes high-definition visuals of the surgeries. From one review: “Could it be a little less laudatory? Absolutely. but the laudatory nature doesn’t take away from the medical miracles they perform.” 8.4 rating on IMDB (the Internet Movie Database). Streaming on Netflix.
Watch the trailer . . .
Lenox Hill (2020)
This docuseries (9 episodes) revolves around four medical professionals in the areas of neurosurgery, emergency medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology at Lenox Hill Hospital, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. 8.7 rating on IMDB. Streaming on Netflix.
Watch the trailer . . .
Podcasts
Gritty Nurse Podcast
“Our podcast examines hot topics related to health and healthcare. We shy away from nothing, discussing topics such as mental health, social justice, women’s health and women’s rights. We are story-tellers and love hearing how healthcare has impacted individuals’ lives. We want to discuss the good, bad and ugly.”
Listen here . . .
Two Humerus Nurses
Informal chat between two registered nurses who work at the same hospital in northern Victoria, Australia. They cover topics ranging from day-to-day work as a nurse, to “doctors who kill,” to fentanyl, parenting sick kids, fertility and more. With Australian accents.
Listen here . . .
Scissors N Scrubs: The $#!t Nurses See
A lively podcast telling stories everyone wants to hear about nursing, told by two witty Boston nurses as only they can tell it. Episodes have names like “You say Technician, I say Technologist,” “Things I Wish I Knew a Thousand Years Ago,” and “Swallowing Stuff.” With Bostonian accents.
Listen here . . .
In the Spotlight: Samantha Ochoa
Credentials
AGACNP-BC
Student Status
Current student in NIFA’s RNFA program
City & State
Lancaster, PA
Where did you get your RN degree?
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences – BS + MSN
How did you come to choose perioperative nursing?
I enjoyed clinicals in the OR and applied for/accepted a job with neurosurgery. In my NP program I did a rotation with cardiothoracic surgery and found I enjoyed being in the OR the most.
What is one scary moment you’ve seen at the table?
I observed an artery being hit and patient bleeding with surgeon attempting to stop bleeding. I also almost passed out my second week in the operating room.
What is one technique or RNFA trick you’ve learned from NIFA that you will use for life?
Loop instrument tie when closing the dermal layer. Also the simple uninterrupted when closing the skin.
How do you feel having your RNFA will impact your life/career?
It will make me more competent in my job and more marketable in the future. It also creates more job opportunities for me and will put me above other candidates.
Jobs Front
Click here for the RNFA job postings we’ve collected for you this month.
NIFA – Office Hours
Monday-Thursday, 8:00am – 5:00pm
Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm
Practice Resources
Here are several of the most-in-demand sites for our students, prospective students and grads:
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter are strictly those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of NIFA. NIFA does not give any express or implied warranty as to the accuracy of statements made by our contributors and does not accept any liability for error or omission. It is the responsibility of all perioperative personnel to work within and adhere to their facility bylaws and individual scope of practice.
