Reflections on Doctors: Nurses' Stories About Physicians and Surgeons

Nurses share what it’s like to work with doctors—when it’s like a smooth-running machine, when communication breaks down, and how it directly affects the patient. Hear from people new to the field as well as those who have been in nursing for decades about power differences, gender dynamics, and the challenge of public perceptions.

Edited and introduced by a registered nurse, Reflections on Doctors is a resource for nurses and anyone who wants to better understand the healthcare professionals who care for them.

Terry Ratner, RN, MFA, is a registered nurse, freelance writer, and creative writing instructor. Ratner’s nursing career has spanned more than 17 years at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, a level-one trauma hospital in Phoenix. As a long-time advocate of positive nurse-physician relationships, she has researched and written extensively on the subject for national nursing publications, including NurseWeek and Nursing Spectrum.

Ratner teaches creative writing in a variety of settings from community colleges to a school for homeless children (Thomas J. Pappas) to wellness communities throughout the Valley of the Sun. In 2004, she launched an Arts and Healing program for children undergoing dialysis. Ratner is a strong proponent of clinical narratives, the writing of stories to assist nurses in understanding themselves and their practice. She has won awards in both national and local nonfiction competitions. Her writing has appeared in Johns Hopkins Nursing, American Nurse Today, eHealthcare Strategy & Trends, Today in PT, Raising Arizona Kids, Phoenix Magazine, and The Jewish News of Arizona. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona. www.terryratner.com.