This is not a typical book about nurses. It takes us behind the curtain of silence that often hangs between us -- the patients who rely on the health care system -- and the women and men who form the backbone of that system, and who are entrusted with our intimate care. It lets us hear why nurses today do what they do, and it allows those nurses to show us, in their own words, what has mattered most to them in their professional careers.Compiled from dozens of first-person interviews, The Call of Nursing offers twenty-three riveting stories from the front lines of health care. The book not only underscores a compelling call to practice, but reveals a deep personal motivation to help people in need. Ekaterina Huelster describes a search for ethical practice that led her from Russia to the United States. Aaron Judkins talks about the rigors of training and working as a flight nurse. Cynthia Smathers describes easing the father of two young children through his final days in hospice. Christi Siedlicki explains her unwavering devotion to victims of sexual abuse. The Call of Nursing succeeds at helping us see more clearly the kinds of challenges nurses face and accept on a routine basis, and offers a rare glimpse into the lives of women and men committed to lives of care and service.