Stories behind the stories...

Peter Jaret

“To capture the voice of nursing” was the mantra Peter Jaret repeated as he wrote Nurse: A World of Care.

Jaret interviewed about 60 nurses and policymakers, who served as his “voices,” writing the book in about five months, after Kasmauski finished most of the photography. Writer Karen Kostyal provided the photo captions.

“Part of the challenge of the book was giving a narrative sweep to the history of nursing while also capturing the voices of as many nurses as possible,” Jaret said. “I wanted to argue the case about the shortage crisis and depict the crucially important work of nurses around the world.”

Jaret enthusiastically joined the creative team for Nurse: A World of Care because of poignant experiences he had with nurses. Newsweek published an emotional essay he wrote about the nurses who cared for his mother as she died. While writing Nurse: A World of Care, his father-in-law entered a long-term care facility. “Everything my interview subjects said — how hard nurses work, turnover concerns, complexity of medical issues and the incredible attention nurses give to patients despite these barriers—came to life during my visits with my father-in-law.”

Jaret had worked with photographer Karen Kasmauski on Impact: From the Frontlines of Global Health, nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2003. “Karen has always been a wonderful guide, introducing me to the best of the subjects she photographed to develop into stories. She brings to her work not only a mastery of photographic imagery but also a deep commitment to the subject of health. In that way, she’s always been an inspiration to me.”

Senior editor Marla Salmon served as Jaret’s spiritual guide while writing Nurse: A World of Care. “Marla helped me understand the impact of policymaking and the international forces shaping the profession. She also gave me a sense of the extraordinary range of nursing as it is practiced today and helped me see the common commitment to caring that nurses bring to their work, no matter what form it takes. Marla brought home the spiritual dimension of nursing. Connecting with her spiritually got us across the rough patches you encounter in producing a book.”

Jaret enjoyed the intellectual challenges of the interviews. “Nurses are smart, funny, articulate, passionate, creative, caring. Every person I spoke with was incredibly eloquent and generous with their time and expertise. They have thought deeply about these issues, some for their whole careers, and were eager to share their field of expertise.”

Jaret said crafting Nurse: A World of Care gave him the joy of writing about a topic he cares about. “A lot of health care writing these days is about how to lose 20 pounds or what herbal supplement to take,” he said. “With this book I had a chance to explore issues that matter profoundly and will touch each of us at some time in our lives. It was a pleasure to be a part of this book and team. Working together, we became like a fine-tuned machine, pushing and challenging one another along the way. We all hope to find another project like this one again soon.”