Editorial review
No One Left Behind: Decades of Growth
By Kim Harkness
The tales of nurse practitioners deserve to be told, and no one understands that better than Kim Harkness.
Reviewed by CANREADS
The tales of nurse practitioners deserve to be told, and no one understands that better than Kim Harkness.
In No One Left Behind: Decades of Growth, Kim Harkness compiles stories by nurse practitioners that offer glimpses into their experiences working and caring for diverse causes and people in Canada. Although nurse practitioners have revolutionized healthcare, their exact role remains far from well-known, which is exactly what this book hopes to tackle. This impressive volume is a highly engaging yet specific read: it is not about nurses, registered nurses, or LPNs; rather No One Left Behind speaks exclusively about nurse practitioners and their work and impact in the Canadian healthcare ecosystem.
Harkness shines a light where it deserves to be. Throughout the volume, readers learn how nurse practitioners fill a unique and specialized role that is not always appreciated as such. Often positioned between nurses and family doctors, they may be the most responsible prescriber or caregiver in certain situations. Throughout the stories, readers also get an inside scoop into some of the dynamics between healthcare professionals. Some tension with the role of physician is palpable, reflecting a system in which physicians have historically occupied a more visible position of authority as opposed to nurses, who are often considered only as physicians’ helpers. In many ways, No One Left Behind reminds readers that the future of healthcare is not built by one profession alone.
What makes these stories especially compelling is how recent they are. Most of the stories narrate the last six years of Canadian healthcare history, with frequent references to the pandemic and contemporary global social issues, making it a powerful and timely read for the current state of healthcare. In another instance, the work robustly discusses medically assisted dying, one of the most debated and controversial topics in Canada today. But No One Left Behind never shies away from the tough conversations. Rather, with Harkness at its helm, the collection faces difficult topics head-on and pushes us toward a better, more informed future.
Nurse practitioners are modern-day heroes, and No One Left Behind gives them their due platform to show that. Where the book really shines is in the breadth of experiences, including accounts from practitioners all across Canada. Some particularly striking stories include caring for Indigenous peoples living in the remote Canadian North, where access to healthcare can be limited and there may not even be a local physician available. Throughout the collection, the various nurse practitioners show how healthcare extends beyond the clinic walls and into the lives of everyone around.
While the collection is informative and engaging, its highly specialized focus can make it less accessible to readers outside the profession. Many contributors assume a familiarity with healthcare terminology and systems that general audiences may not possess, and the organization occasionally feels geared more toward nurse practitioners than newcomers. However, the short, bite-sized chapters help keep the material approachable. Some topics, particularly the pandemic, are revisited multiple times, while charts and figures may have been more effective if integrated directly into the relevant chapters. Even so, the breadth of experiences represented and the passion of the contributors ensure that No One Left Behind remains a valuable portrait of a profession that is too often overlooked.
Without a doubt, every nurse practitioner should read this book. As a volume written by and about nurse practitioners, No One Left Behind contains a wealth of healthcare terminology and insight into the many facets of the profession. Yet the audience extends well beyond those already working in the field. Readers interested in nursing, Canadian healthcare, or the evolving ways care manifests in the twenty-first century will also find much to value here. Through Harkness’s thoughtful compilation, this much-needed addition to healthcare literature stands as a celebration of the dedication, resilience, and expertise nurse practitioners bring to Canadian healthcare every day.
—CANREADS BOOK REVIEW