OF STUDIES STILL DONE SO NO
ANNOUNCEMENT THERE YET.
NEIL.
>> NEIL: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
HEALTHCARE WORKERS, IF EVERYONE
GETS VACCINATED, THEIR WORK WILL
BE A LOT EASIER.
E.R. NURSES ARE PROBABLY LOOKING
FORWARD TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT JAMES PATTERSON AND HIS
COAUTHOR ARE HERE RIGHT NOW.
THEY COAUTHORED A BOOK THAT’S
FASCINATING.
I UNDERSTAND IT STARTED BEFORE
THE PANDEMIC, TRUE STORIES FROM
AMERICA’S GREATEST UNSUNG
HEROES.
JAMES AND MATT ARE JOINING ME
NOW.
GENTLEMEN, IT’S VERY GOOD TO
HAVE YOU.
>> GOOD TO BE HERE.
>> NEIL: YOU KNOW, IT’S
INTERESTING, I WAS NOT MEANING
TO INSULT YOU, BUT EVERY TIME WE
HAVE AUTHORS ON I WANT TO MAKE
SURE I READ THEIR BOOK AND I
THOUGHT OF A -- BOTH GREAT
WRITERS, HOW INTERESTING WILL
THIS BE?
IT WAS BOTH FUNNY AND TRAGIC, IT
COULD MAKE ME CRY BUT THE DAY IN
AND DAY OUT OF WHAT E.R. NURSES
DEAL WITH BEYOND ANYTHING COVID
RELATED JUST HIT HOME.
WAS THAT THE THINKING BEHIND IT?
IF I CAN BEGIN WITH YOU FIRST,
JAMES.
>> OH, MAN.
WE’RE GETTING A PRODUCER OR
SOMETHING.
>> APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
>> HOPEFULLY WE’LL CORRECT THAT
MY PRODUCER IS TALKING.
>> IF YOU COULD STOP TALKING.
>> GO AHEAD, JAMES.
>> NEIL, IT’S EXACTLY, EVERYBODY
LOVES NURSES PER SE, BUT THEY
HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A MIND BLOWER
THEIR SITUATION IS, AND WHEN WE
WERE DOING THE INTERVIEWS IT WAS
LIKE IT JUST KNOCKED US OUT AND
I THINK PEOPLE READING THIS
BOOK, IT WILL BE THE SAME THING.
THEY HAVE NO IDEA, AS YOU SAID,
THE HUMOR, THE EMOTION, AND JUST
THE HOURLY STRESS, IT’S
UNBELIEVABLE WHAT THESE PEOPLE
DO.
UNBELIEVABLE.
IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND TO READ
THIS BOOK.
I’M NOT JUST TRYING TO SELL
BOOKS BUT IF YOU LOVE NURSES YOU
WILL LOVE THEM EVEN MORE.
IF YOU RESPECT THEM YOU’LL
RESPECT THEM EVEN MORE.
>> NEIL: IT’S AMAZING BECAUSE
SOME OF THEM HAVE COME FROM ALL
DIFFERENT TIMES OF BACKGROUNDS.
I REMEMBER THERE WAS ONE NURSE
THAT SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN, AND
TOLD THE EXPERIENCE OF JUST
DEALING IN E.R., A HECK OF A LOT
MORE CHALLENGING THAN ANYTHING
ENCOUNTERED OVER THERE.
THAT WAS REMARKABLE.
>> IT REALLY IS.
>> YOU KNOW, THESE MEN AND WOMEN
ARE LITERALLY DEPLOYED THEIR
ENTIRE CAREERS.
EVERY SHIFT, EVERY DAY, EVERY
WEEK, EVERY MONTH, EVERY YEAR,
THEY ARE DEALING WITH EVERY
WORST CASE OF WORST CASES
ROUTINELY, AND THEY DEAL WITH IT
WITH SUCH GRIT AND
DETERMINATION.
I HATE TO BE CLICHE ABOUT HEROES
AMONG US BUT THEY REALLY ARE
ANGELS AMONG US.
>> STORY AFTER STORY.
YOU GOT THE 600- POUND WOMAN,
HOW YOU DEAL WITH THAT YOU HAVE
THE PREGNANT MAN.
YOU HAVE THIS NURSE WHO, SHE
FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS HUSBAND
AND WIFE.
THE HUSBAND WAS DYING AND SHE
SAID, WHAT COULD BRING SOME JOY
TO HIS LIFE?
HIS GOLDEN RETRIEVER, SHE SAID,
I CAN’T DO IT BUT I’M GOING TO
DO IT.
SHE SNUCK THE GOLDEN RETRIEVER
INTO THE HOSPITAL ROOM AND SHE’S
CRYING AND THE COUPLE ARE TRYING
AND THE DOG IS LICKING THE EARS
OFF THE GUY.
IT’S ONE AFTER THE OTHER IN
TERMS OF THE STORIES.
>> YES.
JUXTAPOSED, I MEAN --
>> NEIL: THEY GET HIT.
UNBELIEVABLE.
>> THAT BLEW ME AWAY.
YOU KNOW, MATT, THERE HAS BEEN A
CHANGE IN THINKING, IN
HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND THE WHOLE
DUST-UP OVER THE MANDATES FOR
THEM GETTING VACCINATED.
WE SHOULD STRESS, THIS WAS NOT
EMERGENCY ROOM NURSES AND THAT
SORT OF THING, LOWER LEVELS, IT
WAS LIKE A SWINGING SENTIMENT
TOWARD THEM AS A RESULT.
WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THAT, MATT?
>> IT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING,
NEIL IN THAT WE DID, AS YOU
SAID, WE STARTED THIS IN 2019
BEFORE ANYBODY REALLY HAD
THOUGHT DEEPLY ABOUT COVID SO
ALL OF THE INTERVIEWS KIND OF
TOOK PLACE IN REAL-TIME.
NOBODY KNEW ABOUT -- THESE MEN
AND WOMEN WERE JUST -- WITH
THEIR CHIN.
OF ALL OF US THEY WERE THE MOST
PREPARED AND MOST COURAGEOUS.
YOU KIND OF FOLLOW THIS
TRAJECTORY ALL THE WAY TO WHERE
WE ARE NOW.
IT’S A LITTLE BAFFLING IN ONE
SENSE.
WE NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO
REALLY TALK ABOUT SHOTS AND
MANDATES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THEY TO THEIR CREDIT, THESE MEN
AND WOMEN JUST WANTED TO SAVE
PEOPLE WHENEVER AND HOWEVER THEY
COULD.
>> NEIL: YOU KNOW, IT’S FUNNY, I
WAS THINKING IN MY OWN CASE
BECAUSE EVERYTHING COMES BACK TO
ME, I ALWAYS FIND EVERYTHING
COMES BACK TO ME BUT ONE THING
THAT STRUCK ME HAVING RECENTLY
TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID, I’M
OKAY NOW, I DON’T WANT YOU GUYS
WORRYING, BUT I’M THINKING OF
HOW THEY ISOLATE YOU AND THEY
WANT TO PUT YOU IN A CLOSET AND
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE
PANDEMIC, THESE GUYS WERE
EXPOSED TO ALL OF THIS,
ENDANGERING THEIR OWN LIVES AND
BY EXTENSION EVERYONE IN THEIR
FAMILY, DEALING WITH THIS
SELFLESSLY WITHOUT A WORD.
THAT’S WHAT STRUCK ME.
>> YES.
THAT AND ALSO THE FACT THAT THEY
ARE USED TO HUMAN CONTACT, AND
ONE NURSE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW
HERE’S THIS POOR WOMAN THAT’S
DYING AND HER FAMILY CAN’T BE
THERE, AND THIS NURSE JUST
FINALLY SAID, SHE’S BEHIND THE
MASK AND SHE JUST, JUST HOLDING
THIS WOMAN’S HAND JUST SO THE
WOMAN CAN FEEL THAT SOMEBODY
CARES.
SOMEBODY IN THAT ROOM CARES
ABOUT HER AS A HUMAN.
>> NEIL: WE LOOK AT PEOPLE, IF
YOU THINK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW FAR
BETTER THAN I, WHEN YOU GO INTO
THE EMERGENCY ROOM, YOU’RE NOT
THERE TO CHECK INTO A HOTEL.
YOU’RE HURTING AND YOU’RE ANGRY.
RELATIVES OR OTHERS, WHO ARE
CONCERNED AND ANGRY, AND THEY
HAVE TO DEAL WITH ALL OF THAT.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THAT AND
ABOUT THEIR TEMPERAMENT?
>> MATT?
>> YES, I WAS GOING TO SAY,
NEIL, THERE ARE ONLY THREE
THINGS THAT HAPPEN.
YOU GO IN AND YOU GO OUT.
YOU GO IN AND YOU GO TO ICU OR
YOU GO IN AND YOU PASS AWAY.
AND YOU REALIZE THAT THESE ARE
INCREDIBLY EMOTIONALLY AND
PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY TOUGH
MEN AND WOMEN.
THEY DON’T SUFFER FOOLS LATELY.
THEY ARE THE COWBOYS OF NURSING.
BUT THEY ARE SO EMPATHETIC AND
SYMPATHETIC.
EVEN THE TOUGHEST OF THE NURSE
RATCHETS STILL HAVE AN
UNBELIEVABLE TENDERNESS.
IT BRINGS TEARS TO YOUR EYES
JUST TALKING ABOUT IT.
>> IF MATT AND I WANTED TO WRITE
A BOOK ABOUT THE UNDERBELLY OF
THIS COUNTRY, I WOULDN’T KNOW
WHERE TO START BUT NOW I DO.
BECAUSE THEY SEE THIS STUFF
EVERY DAY WITH THESE
UNBELIEVABLE STORIES.
THE FIRST TOO MANY I HEARD ONE
OF THE STORIES I’M GOING -- NO,
IT HAPPENS A LOT.
IT’S AN ORDINARY THING IN
EMERGENCY ROOMS.
BUT, AS I SAID, I MEAN, PEOPLE
WILL SIT THERE AND GO ON AND ON,
I WANT TO READ ABOUT NURSES.
THIS WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.
IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.
THERE WAS ONE NURSE, WE HAD A
PODCAST AND SHE WAS THE
MODERATOR AND SHE HAD GIVEN THE
BOOK TO HER MOTHER OVER THE
WEEKEND, AND HER MOTHER SHOWED
UP ON SUNDAY AND SHE WAS WEEPING
AND SHE SAID, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT
DO YOU, HONEY.
I MEAN, I READ THIS BOOK AND,
SHE JUST WAS WEEPING.
SHE FINALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT
NURSES REALLY DO.
WE JUST SOLD THE THING TO ONE OF
THE NETWORKS BECAUSE THERE IS NO
TELEVISION SHOW THAT’S BEEN DONE
ABOUT THE NURSES THAT IS REAL.
THAT GETS AT WHAT THEY DO.
YOU’RE ALWAYS WITH THE DOCTORS,
DOCTORS, DOCTORS.
YOU SEE THE DOCTOR FOR FIVE
MINUTES.
THE NURSE IS THERE ALL DAY.
>> YES, THE DOCTORS COME IN SORT
OF LIKE ELVIS.
>> YOUR FIRST CONTACT IS THAT
NURSE, AND THEY ARE DEALING WITH
SOME GENUINELY HURTING PEOPLE.
I DON’T WANT TO GIVE THE BOOK
AWAY, GENUINELY CRAZY PEOPLE SO
THEY HAVE TO SORT OUT WHETHER
THIS PERSON IS IN REAL DANGER OR
THIS IS JUST SOMEONE WHO HAS
SOME OTHER ISSUE.
HOW DO THEY DO THAT?
>> I THINK -- IN THE
BEGINNING -- GO AHEAD, MATT.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY,
THERE ARE SOME INCREDIBLE
INSTINCTS THAT COME ON.
BEFORE I TURN IT BACK TO JIM, I
WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, NEIL, WE
ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE, THESE ARE
OUR ADVOCATES.
WHEN YOU GO INTO THE E.R., THIS
GUY OR THAT GUY IS WITH YOU,
THEY ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT GOING
TO BAT FOR YOU COME HELL OR HIGH
WATER AGAINST ANYBODY.
SO UNDERSTAND THAT.
I THROW THAT IN JUST AS A
PREFACE TO, HOW DO THEY DO IT?
>> IF NECESSARY, THEY WILL ARGUE
WITH THE DOCTORS AND GO, NO,
YOU’VE GOT TO PAY ATTENTION TO
WHAT’S GOING ON HERE.
I’VE BEEN WATCHING THIS PATIENT
ALL DAY.
>> I WAS THINKING OF THE
COMEDIAN BRIAN -- HE HAS A SKIT
THAT HE DOES ABOUT GOING TO THE
EMERGENCY ROOM AND HOW YOU GET
ATTENTION, AND YOU HAVE TO
NUMBER YOUR PAIN LEVEL, AND IT
GOES BACK AND FORTH.
BUT THEY DO KNOW SOMETHING
INTRINSICALLY ABOUT WHETHER THIS
ONE SHOULD BE PUT AHEAD OF THIS
ONE.
>> OH, YES.
>> BUT HOW DO THEY DECIDE THAT?
>> THERE ARE TIMES WHERE THEY
WILL SAY, LISTEN, IF WE’RE NOT
PAYING ATTENTION DON’T BE TOO
WORRIED.
GET NERVOUS WHEN WE ALL COME
RUNNING TO SEE YOU.
THAT’S WHEN YOU NEED TO GET A
LITTLE SCARED.
>> NEIL: WE ALL THINK OF THE
SCARY OR THE DANGEROUS PART OF
OUR JOBS.
FOR ME, GUYS IS WHEN THE
PROMPTER GOES DOWN AND THAT’S A
CRISIS.
I’M THINKING OF THESE GUYS, AND,
THEY ARE LIFE AND DEATH ISSUES,
BUT WE DON’T REALLY APPRECIATE
WHAT THEY DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW,
YOU SAID THEY ARE THE UNDERBELLY
BUT SOMETIMES IT’S EVEN WORSE
THAN THAT.
>> YES.
IT IS.
>> LOOK, THEY PULL BACK THE
CURTAIN.
THIS GUY IS HAVING A HEART
ATTACK.
THEY PULL BACK THE NEXT CURTAIN.
THE KID HAS PULLED OUT HALF
THEIR -- IT’S CONSTANT.
JUST UNBELIEVABLE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE GRAY’S
ANATOMY, THIS IS WAY BEYOND
GRAY’S ANATOMY AND A LOT OF IT
IS FUNNY, TOO, AND THAT’S HOW
YOU KEEP YOUR SANITY.
>> NEIL: IT’S A JOY.
I LEARNED FROM YOU, IF YOU’RE
LINE ONE OF THOSE CURTAINS SAYING STUPID THINGS LIKE DO YOU
SAYING STUPID THINGS LIKE DO YOU
KNOW WHO I AM, DOESN’T REALLY
WORK.
>> SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND JUST --
>> NEIL: IT’S REALLY A GREAT
BOOK.
IT PUTS LIFE INTO PERSPECTIVE AND WHATEVER PROBLEM YOU HAVE,
AND WHATEVER PROBLEM YOU HAVE,
THEY HAVE REASON TO DO THAT 10
FOLD.
[CROSS TALKING]