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The highlight of this book has to be the male nurse’s experience while working in both New Zealand and Australia. Interestingly, the chapter titles, even if not grammatically correct, are a source of laughter. The healthcare systems differ in both countries – and the dos and don’ts while working in both countries are clearly explained. Even if it’s a minor part of the book, I particularly enjoyed where the author briefly touched on the different accents in terms of spoken language. Oh, did I tell you how hilarious it was when a foreign patient came to visit and the author happened to be the one to greet and attend to her?

Despite the wide array of stories, all of them had a nice flow – you’ll never be lost. The patient-nurse and nurse-superior dynamics are explored in the book. The tension and sometimes shock that arise from discussions on solving patient cases puts a strain on these relationships, which are realistic, but also not unlike your favourite medical-based television drama. Luckily, there was hardly any mention of a love interest in the life of Michael Alexander throughout his service.

The author’s explanation of how hospital staff usually operate across departments was excellent. For eg. Physio and the mental health sectors.

As always, nobody likes to be on the receiving end of someone dying. Nevertheless, the author skillfully weaved all the stories of deaths – even if they involved different patients and patients’ families.

The author’s candid-ness about how things run and don’t work in a hospital is also worth lauding. Perhaps this is a factor why I kept wanting to turn the page.

I would have taken less than three days to finish this read if not for the portion on drunkards. Trust me, that portion was incredibly challenging to drink in.

At the same time, there was no explanation for a couple of medical terms. However, overall, this book is easy to understand, even for those outside the medical/pharmacy/physio/healthcare industry.

Most of the stories in this book are non-fiction, only some parts are fictionalised to make the book more appealing to as many readers.

All in all, you’ll find a good mix of humour, wit, seriousness and sadness in this book. So, if you’re looking for something different, you might want to give this book and author a shot.