Part of the basis of my WIP, which is heading into another round of revisions, comes from my experience as a registered nurse. One of the bits of advice I picked up from the book, How to be a Writer in the E-Age. . (see previous blog for link) was to work around building an audience in your genre by writing about subjects related to it. That, and fellow blogger Barbara Watson (click on her name for more info.), did a content consult for me and made a note with regard to the educational requirements of being a registered nurse.
My personal story was that at the age of 19, I went to school for 6 months to become an EMT (emergency medical technician) and simultaneously a ski patrol. An EMT is a lower level than a paramedic, but also works on an ambulance. I worked doing that for the next two years until I moved to Ecuador. My plan was to do volunteer work for 10 months and then go to nursing school, and I was on a waiting list for a community college. I ended up staying in Ecuador 3 years, but I never lost sight of my goal, and when I moved back I went to a tech school to be a LPN. (Licensed Practical Nurse) That is a diploma course that lasts 2 1/2 semesters and then you can take a state board exam for your license. Most LPN's work in long-term care, i.e. nursing homes, but it varies state by state.
After that, I moved around some, had two kids, and continued to work on my associate degree in nursing, which I finally finished a while back. You can be a registered nurse with an associate or a bachelor degree; both have to pass the same state board exam for the R.N. license. In the work field, there is little acknowledgement of the difference as far as pay or title goes, which makes the time and money involved for the four year degree less appealing.
This whole subject leads me to a book from my "reading through the library project" that I got turned off by. Again, for my negative reviews I won't post the title, but the problem I had was that it referenced a nurse giving a patient a bed bath and having only one patient (unless you're in ICU, you have more than one). The issue I had is that obviously the writer didn't research this, because nurses do not routinely give bed baths now, CNA's (certified nursing assistants) do. It's not because it's beneath us, it's just the reality is that we are so bogged down with documentation and paperwork that bedside care has been delegated.
That's today's nurse. (Sigh)
If you're a nurse, you would know that wasn't right! Too bad the author didn't ask you. Or anyone else.
ReplyDeleteJust shows the research is important because you never know who will read your book.
DeleteIt's funny how little things can turn a reader off. Like if they get the freeway system wrong and have roads connect that don't. Or if the character can't have mayonnaise because they have a dairy allergy (there is no dairy in mayonnaise) Those things can break faith between the reader and author and the reader is left wondering "If they didn't research that, what else didn't they research?"
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right! The book starts to feel like a waste of time when those discrepancies come up. After all, if the writer didn't invest time into it, why should I?
DeleteYou are so right. It's interesting how a little discrepancy can trip up the reader. Sadly, I discovered this in an inspirational piece that I had written ...and published! I couldn't believe nobody pointed it out to me when they read it. I didn't notice it until a few years later, and I literally threw the book across the room. I was so mad at myself for that error. Eventually, I will go back and correct it and begin sharing the book again as many people have said they found it very inspiring. Perhaps nobody picked up on the discrepancy... except me...after it was too late.
ReplyDeleteYou're probably being way too hard on yourself! Putting in a mistake really scares me with what I write, because in the field of health care, you can spend a lifetime on one thing, and still not know it all. Maybe I should do fantasy- then it wouldn't matter!
DeleteI love it! It's funny when this happens... I do it all the time with things in the dancer world, LOL!
ReplyDeleteGood to know!
DeleteJust goes to show how important research is!
ReplyDeleteIf you want to succeed, absolutely. It's easy to be lazy.
DeleteThere are so many details we can get wrong that most people won't notice - but there's always a handful who will.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is when the reader is an expert in the exact niche the writer took a gamble on them not knowing. But you're right, they will most likely get away with it.
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