Daily Miracles: Stories and Practices of Humanity and Excellence in Health Care

Caring and compassion are at the core of excellent health care. But all too often they are lost or marginalized by the time-pressured, cost-conscious, high-tech focus of health care. How do caring and compassion show up in the demanding, often chaotic experience of health care practice? Authors Alan Briskin and Jan Boller met with 20 registered nurses for a sustained dialogue at a California community hospital to work toward an answer. The group met more than 20 times over a period of two years, and conversations were inspired by the direct, daily experiences of the nurses. Telling stories and discussing key principles of caring, the group engaged in conversations that revealed the inner landscape of both caring and caretaker. Using principles of appreciative inquiry, reflective practice, generative dialogue, and the power of speaking in circle, the work was an affirmation that when people are ill, they need a team to care for them. Likewise, caregivers need to be part of a group that cares together. Illustrated with original photography by one of the authors, the book has a beauty and spaciousness that is reflective of the book's message and perfect for anyone who wishes to experience relationship-centered care as a lived experience.