Psychologist Edith Eger wrote a memoir about her challenges during the Holocaust, producing an unforgettable account of arriving at Auschwitz at the age of 16 and enduring years of physical and emotional harm. After being liberated, Eger shares her experiences of coming back into “regular life” without the opportunity to work through the stages of grief associated with the loss of her mother and father at Auschwitz, the loss of her teenage and early adult years while confined in the labor camps, and loss of a connection with the life she once knew growing up in Hungary.
What I learned
Eger shares several patient case studies demonstrating the importance of the process of healing after traumatic experiences. She emphasizes the need to being able to choose how you react to events rather than trying to be in charge of the event and the outcomes, as we are not always able to control events. She gives many quotes throughout the book that are worth considering as we come out of the COVID-19 pandemic and deal with the outcomes, both personal and professional. Eger points out that changing the past is not possible, but actively choosing how one wishes to live the future is.
Leadership insight
After nine months of intense planning around pandemic response, it is clear many nurses have suffered emotional and physical distress while caring for patients, in addition to their own personal losses. Eger’s lessons are applicable to today’s pandemic event. The memoir provides an optimistic viewpoint on overcoming challenges and working through the stages of grief related to loss.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anna Kiger, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, system chief nurse officer, Sutter Health, Sacramento, Calif.
If you have recently read a book that would be a fit for LeaderRead, please send your recommendation in this format to Terese Thrall, AONL managing editor, at tthrall@aha.org.
