Tilda Shalof (BScN 1983) is the author of several books on the nursing profession that have earned her recognition from both current and aspiring nurses. Her latest book, The Handover – A Nurse’s Last Shift, written in collaboration with RN Lisa Mochrie, is filled with a series of raw and honest stories from Shalof’s decades of nursing practice.
The title of the book “The Handover” is an intentional reference on Shalof’s part, to the moment when a nurse hands over their shift to the next nurse on duty. The handover of a patient, Shalof says, is an integral part of nursing practice, and involves providing all the information necessary to help the nurse coming on duty be successful.
“As I came to the realization that I was approaching the end of my career, I felt I needed to give the young nurses I was encountering something beyond the education they were receiving,” says Shalof. “When I met Lisa, who was a nursing student at the time, it solidified for me that the time was right to publish my next book.”
Bridging generational gaps in nursing
Shalof met Lisa Mochrie when she was a nursing student at a national nursing conference in 2020, just before the world shutdown due to the global COVID19 pandemic. Mochrie, who has been a fan of Shalof’s books since the age of 16, was looking for a mentor to guide her through the nursing profession as she was starting her career. As their friendship grew throughout the pandemic, they both felt that collaborating on a book that sought to bridge the gap between nursing generations, would be ideal.
“I think there is an unfortunate bias that both generations of nurses have about one another,” says Mochrie. “I hope this book helps Gen Z nurses appreciate the resilience and achievements of the nurses who have come before them. As for older nurses, I hope they can understand the pressure and fear of failure that many new nurses face.”
Shalof’s style of writing allows The Handover to touch on a range of topics in nursing from burnout to racism and retention. Peppered through the book are exchanges Shalof has had with her mentees, including Mochrie, as they share with her their concerns about their academics, their stress about passing the NCLEX (licensing exam for RNs), dealing with tough patients, and deciding where they are headed next in their career.
On finding ways to be a healthy and happy nurse
Throughout the book Shalof aims to uplift and encourage her young mentees and the work they are doing as nurses. She worries that they will see patient care as only a stepping stone to other “better” things, as so many nurses seek to move away from the bedside and the care of the body. She wants them to know that this form of nursing can be fulfilling and energizing too.
“I’ve always wanted to stay as close as possible to the patient, and I don’t know that a lot of people feel that way, but I wanted to convey – through the stories within the book- that there is a great deal of breadth in nursing, you just have to find your niche,” says Shalof.
One of Mochrie’s favourite quotes in the book, is when Shalof references the dichotomy of new nurses, their education and fragility, their boldness and their fear.
“It is very relatable to how I felt at the beginning of my nursing journey,” says Mochrie. “There is so much to adjust to, new machines, new documentation systems, and very sick patients. I was lucky to have Tilda to lean on in those moments, and so I hope that readers will see that having a mentor or a circle of care that includes older nurses, who can guide you through those painful patient cases or bad night shifts can make a world of difference.”
In the book, Shalof describes the concept of being a happy nurse, as something that has become nearly impossible for many young nurses to even envision. Burnout is common, and many nurses have left the profession. Both she and Mochrie champion the need for nurses to find moments of joy and happiness, not to replace the hardship or gloss over it, but to allow the nervous system a chance to rest and reset.
“I dedicated this book to those who choose to stay in nursing because it is absolutely a tough profession. I want readers, especially if they are nurses, to be able to see that being a healthy and happy nurse is still possible,” says Shalof.
The Handover – A Nurse’s Last Shift is available for purchase from University of Toronto Press.