Matter of Life and Death: Courage, compassion and the fight against coronavirus - a palliative care nurse's story

Kelly Critcher, a palliative care nurse, worked at Northwick Park Hospital during the COVID-19 crisis, battling tirelessly to save patients and delivering the bad news. Her story combines her raw, emotional diaries with a broader reflection on the truths about a life spent caught between battling for her patients' lives and helping them face down death with courage and compassion.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2021
Publisher: John Blake Publishing Ltd

It all began with a slight sense of panic, but things quickly escalated. Day after day, wards were being cleared to accommodate Covid-positive patients. The situation was deteriorating rapidly. For the first time in my nursing career, I felt a genuine sense of fear.

As a palliative care nurse, it is Kelly Critcher's duty to face death head-on - to save a patient whenever possible, and to embrace life's end with grace and kindness when it becomes inevitable.

In early 2020, the world of nursing underwent a seismic shift. Kelly, a nurse working on Covid wards and the High Dependency Unit, found herself at the forefront of the coronavirus crisis at Northwick Park Hospital, arguably the UK hospital most severely affected by the illness.

She, along with countless others like her, tirelessly battled in a critical care unit pushed to its breaking point, delivering heartbreaking news and fighting a valiant battle, day after day, throughout the most challenging test our healthcare system has ever faced.

Kelly's story intertwines her raw, emotional diaries from the COVID frontline with a broader reflection on the realities of a life spent navigating the delicate balance between saving her patients' lives and helping them confront death with courage and compassion.

This book serves as a poignant testament to the past twelve months, capturing the enormity of the challenges we have faced and the scars they will leave behind. It is a timely reminder of the unwavering dedication and resilience of healthcare workers, who have risen to the occasion in the face of unprecedented adversity.

Weight: 238g
Dimension: 128 x 198 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789464412