Proud to Wear my South Side Cap

Ruth (Wagner) Bershok entered South Side School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1958. In this book she traces her nearly 60-year journey through the field of nursing. She begins as a teenaged student nurse starching her cap, learning the rules of etiquette for student nurses, and rotating through clinicals. The journey continues through decades filled with changes in medical technologies and attitudes. She vividly recalls the first time a medical doctor asked for the opinion of the nursing staff. Having completed both a three-year nursing school and, later, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), the author speaks to the pros and cons of both paths to a nursing career. Her journey navigates through many challenging events including an earthquake, a lengthy and bitter strike, and a hospital evacuation. Additionally, having served the vast majority of her career on the hospital's night shift, the author delightfully devotes a chapter to "The Unexplained." This book reflects the joys, sorrows, frustrations, compassion, and soul's enrichment inherent to the author's lengthy nursing career.

Dettagli