By Marianne Sciucco, New York, US
Among the hundreds of contributing authors to AlzAuthors are a small group who have not only written a book but are practicing or retired nurses. As May 6th is National Nurses Day, sparking National Nurses Week through May 12th, ending with International Nurses Day May 12th, we wanted to spotlight these authors, who not only bring their caregiving journeys to the page but also their professional experience and expertise.
However, I must admit that although I spent the better part of my working days counseling families about what to do when a loved one receives a dementia diagnosis, when it happened to me everything I knew went out the window! I was quickly overwhelmed and consumed with anxiety. Soon, I realized that if I put on my nurse’s cap (figuratively, we don’t wear caps anymore) I’d find my way. And it worked. Nurses offer not only care to their patients with dementia but can also offer information and knowledge to their families, easing the transitions that dementia brings.
Do you have a favorite nurse? Please take a moment in the coming week to let them know how much you appreciate them.
Here are the nurses’ books. Please take a moment to read about them in the author’s individual blog posts written exclusively for AlzAuthors. Any or all of these books would make a wonderful addition to a personal or caregiver library.
Jamie TenNopel Tyrone – Fighting for My Life
Jane Dwinell – Alzheimer’s Canyon
Janet Fraser – Just Another Day in the Retirement Home
Mary Ann Drummond – Meet Me Where I Am
Vanessa K. Williams-Harvey – I Remember
Jane Mullins – Finding the Light in Dementia
Tracy Gough – Gone But Not Forgotten and My Dementia Journey
Claudia Rumwell – Senior Care Organizer
Kimberly Best – How to Live Forever
Patti Callahan Henry – The Favorite Daughter
Marianne Sciucco – Blue Hydrangeas
Christiana Egi – A Doll for Grandma
Suzanne Bottum-Jones – Nice to Meet You Again …
Carmen Tribbett – The Monster Dog
Alder Allensworth – Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer’s
Mary Ann Drummond – Grandma and Me
Susan Farese – Poetic Expressions in Nursing