Surprised by Nothing: Surviving the ER World of Worst-Case Scenarios

Kathryn Kyker used to faint at the sight of blood. But after three decades as an ER social worker, blood no longer fazed her-and neither did anything else.

Kathryn took her job at a regional Georgia hospital because she was desperate for health insurance. Although she found the work meaningful and became the hospital's first ER social work manager, the high-stakes environment left her unable to cry, hypervigilant about safety, and detached from family and friends.

With her inner emotional lan...