Alexandra Robbins talks nurses and inspiration

by Megan Wessell
Megan blogs about books at A Bookish Affair.

Alexandra Robbins has written about a lot of different groups of people. In “Pledged,” she wrote about sorority girls. In “The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth,” she wrote about high school cliques. In her latest release, “The Nurses,” she writes about the unsung heroes of our hospitals.

What inspired you to write about nurses?
The nurses themselves. Nurses have been asking me to write this book for 10 years because they believe their voices aren’t heard. When I began to ask them about their stories, I was blown away by the shocking things they had experienced and witnessed and the secrets they have to tell about hospital life.

In the book, you follow four very different nurses. How did you decide to follow these specific nurses? How did you gain their trust in order to write about them?
I chose nurses who had riveting stories, personalities that readers would root for, and vastly different experiences: one had been addicted to painkillers and stole narcotics from the ER; one was struggling with cliques among colleagues; one was a young new nurse learning the ropes and dating hospital staff; and one was an experienced nurse trying to find a workplace that treated nurses right. They trusted me immediately; by now I (think I) have a good reputation as a reporter such that sources don’t have reservations.

Which nurse’s story was the most compelling to you?
That’s like asking me to pick the best pizza in DC. I can’t choose just one! I will say that I was extremely worried about Lara and those painkillers at her fingertips in the ER, though.

What was the most surprising thing that you learned in your research?
Two things: The hijinks that go on among staff behind the hospital curtains, and that there are things anyone can do that can exponentially improve your or a loved one’s hospital care, which can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.

And now for a fun question, if you could bring any three people with you to a deserted island, who would you bring and why?
If we’re not counting past and present family members and friends, then I’ll go with: Steve Martin, for laughs; Patrick O’Connell, for food; and Jim Henson, for Jim Henson.

Alexandra Robbins is the author of four New York Times bestsellers. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post and other publications. The recipient of the Heartsongs Award for contributions to the mental health of children and young adults, Robbins has appeared on numerous television shows, including 60 Minutes, The Today Show, Oprah, The View, various CNN programs and The Colbert Report.