The Hospital At The End Of The World

Joe Niemczura brings to life the day-to-day realities of life in a rural teaching hospital, literally at the "end of the road." The harsh realities of a lack of modern medical equipment when mixed with the humanness of endurances demonstrates that above all, it is the individual who matters; both patient and caregiver. All else pales in comparison. The strength of this story is in relationships with students, physicians, other nurses, patients, families and most importantly with Nepal itself. There is a sense of community connectedness which the author brings alive as the reader becomes one with the story. The heartbreak and grief of death to the celebrations of life will elicit those same emotions. The thread through it all is the author's own journey as he discovers himself and renews his spirituality. The reader is immediately pulled into the drama and nakedness, and the beauty and mystery of this incredible part of the world.

Ellen L. Bridge, RN, BS, MTS, Public Health Nursing Consultant

There are 2,600 hospitals in Asia, Africa and South America which could be classified as "Mission Hospitals" - far off the beaten path, providing basic medical service to the poorest people of the world. The Hospital at the End of the World tells the story of a nurse from the USA and his first experience as a teaching nurse in Nepal.



Joe Niemczura brings to life the day-to-day realities of life in a rural teaching hospital, literally at the "end of the road." The harsh realities of a lack of modern medical equipment when mixed with the humanness of endurances demonstrates that above all, it is the individual who matters; both patient and caregiver. All else pales in comparison. The strength of this story is in relationships with students, physicians, other nurses, patients, families and most importantly with Nepal itself. There is a sense of community connectedness which the author brings alive as the reader becomes one with the story. The heartbreak and grief of death to the celebrations of life will elicit those same emotions. The thread through it all is the author's own journey as he discovers himself and renews his spirituality. The reader is immediately pulled into the drama and nakedness, and the beauty and mystery of this incredible part of the world.

Ellen L. Bridge, RN, BS, MTS, Public Health Nursing Consultant

Susan Henderson, RN, MS - ANA-Maine Journal

The hospital, patients and staff are presented very much from the perspective of an experienced nurse trying to orient himself to a new work setting. Things are very different, but Joe relates what he sees to what he knows from his experiences so that he has a basis from which to begin functioning. In bits and pieces, we learn that a great deal of time was spent in preparation for this trip. Months were spent studying the language and the culture. Used, but good textbooks were collected and carried to the hospital. After an orientation, Joe's role will be to teach nursing students at the hospital school. During orientation, he memorizes how the rooms are organized and notes how extra patients are placed on pallets in the hall and how family members frequently sleep under the beds or in the hall with their sick relative. I feel a sense of anxiety trying to visualize myself taking report and organizing an assignment in this environment, yet Joe proceeds.
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I found this book to be very well written and totally engaging on a professional, personal and spiritual level. It was an added bonus that I know Joe, but the book would have been just as good if I had never met him. In the beginning of the book, Joe talks about having wanted to get out of his "bubble" of the secure and familiar. He indeed traveled far from his "bubble" and confronted amazing things. There is laughter and tears, sadness and hope in this story of a nurse who dared to travel and dared to care. I highly recommend that you read it.