Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Five Days at Memorial summary
Brief summary
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink is a compelling account of the chaos that unfolded in a New Orleans hospital during Hurricane Katrina. It raises thought-provoking questions about ethics and decision-making in a crisis.
Table of Contents
Five Days at Memorial
Summary of key ideas
Dire Circumstances in a Disaster-struck Hospital
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink brings us to the heart of a horrifying spectacle - Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Battling with power failures, rising flood waters, and a rapidly deteriorating environment, the hospital personnel were pushed to their limits. Equipped with minimal resources and facing a grim scenario of patient evacuations, the doctors and nurses made life-or-death decisions that would later haunt them.
Fink ensures that we experience the relentless tension and desperation that gripped everyone trapped in the hospital. She paints a vivid picture of the hospital staff's Herculean tasks--caring for the patients, comforting terrified relatives, and working under unbearable conditions. Decisions made under such circumstances form the troubling core of the narrative, particularly those regarding critically ill patients and the elderly who might not survive evacuation.
The Question of Triaging and Ethics
The crux of Five Days at Memorial lays bare the disturbing ordeal of 'triaging' – a method of sorting patients based on their immediate medical needs. Amid the chaos and under severe stress, the medical practitioners were forced to decide who would be evacuated first and who might be left behind, with the unspoken understanding that the latter might not survive. This led to allegations of euthanasia and medical professionals being accused of hastening patients' deaths.
Dr. Anna Pou and two nurses were later arrested for allegedly administering lethal doses of a painkiller to several patients. Their arrest sparked nationwide controversy, questioning whether these medical decisions were just, given the circumstances, or if they constituted a gross violation of medical ethics. Fink navigates through this morally troubled water with care, offering comprehensive insight into the unimaginable conditions these people worked under.
Legal Repercussions and Ethical Reflections
Months after the tragedy, the medical world and public opinion remained divided over the actions at Memorial. Some hailed Dr. Pou and her colleagues as heroes who made unthinkable decisions in a crisis. Others saw them as criminals who overstepped their bounds by deciding who lived and who died. The legal proceedings that followed are scrutinized thoroughly in the book. Despite the serious charges, the grand jury did not indict Dr. Pou, leaving the readers with more questions than answers.
Five Days at Memorial provokes heart-wrenching reflections about ethical boundaries in medicine, particularly during disasters. Fink presents us with an uncomfortable reality: when resources are scarce and hope is dwindling, medical personnel might have to play God. However, is it right to make such decisions, or must all efforts be extended to save every life, regardless of the circumstances?
Healthcare System and Disaster Preparedness
One of the most significant aspects of this harrowing journey is the glaring scrutiny of the American healthcare system and its preparedness for disasters. For Fink, the tragedy at Memorial was not an isolated incident but rather an indication of a broader systemic issue. One of the lessons learned from the disaster was the need for clear policies to guide medical staff during emergencies.
In conclusion, Five Days at Memorial stimulates intense thoughts regarding disaster preparedness and the ethical conundrums health professionals face. It's a haunting portrait of courage, decision making under duress, and the difficulties of ethics when confronted with a deeply tragic situation. Not only does it question the acts committed under extreme conditions, but it also challenges us to reflect on what we would have done if we had been in their shoes.
How do we create content on this page?
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Five Days at Memorial about?
This book tells the gripping and heartbreaking story of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina at a New Orleans hospital. Fink provides a detailed account of the challenges faced by medical staff and the difficult decisions they had to make in order to save lives. It raises important ethical questions about healthcare in times of crisis.
Five Days at Memorial Review
Five Days at Memorial (2013) is a gripping and thought-provoking exploration of the ethical dilemmas that arose in a New Orleans hospital during Hurricane Katrina. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Featuring meticulous research and interviews, it offers a meticulous reconstruction of the events, giving readers a deep understanding of the situation.
- Examining complex ethical questions surrounding medical decision-making during a crisis, the book stimulates inner reflecting and invites discussions.
- It paints a detailed and intimate portrait of the hospital staff and patients, bringing humanity to the narrative and keeping readers engaged until the very end.
Who should read Five Days at Memorial?
- Readers interested in ethical dilemmas and the complexities of medical decision-making
- Healthcare professionals and policymakers seeking insights into disaster preparedness and crisis management
- Those who want a thought-provoking exploration of the line between saving lives and playing God
Categories with Five Days at Memorial
Book summaries like Five Days at Memorial
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
32 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Five Days at Memorial FAQs
What is the main message of Five Days at Memorial?
The main message of Five Days at Memorial is the ethical dilemmas faced by healthcare professionals during Hurricane Katrina.
How long does it take to read Five Days at Memorial?
The estimated reading time for Five Days at Memorial is several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Five Days at Memorial a good book? Is it worth reading?
Five Days at Memorial is worth reading as it provides profound insights into the challenges of disaster response and the complex choices faced by healthcare professionals.
Who is the author of Five Days at Memorial?
The author of Five Days at Memorial is Sheri Fink.
What to read after Five Days at Memorial?
If you're wondering what to read next after Five Days at Memorial, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Trial of Henry Kissinger by Christopher Hitchens
- In Pursuit of the Unknown by Ian Stewart
- The Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark
- I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
- A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
- ISIS by Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan
- Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder
- Gutenberg the Geek by Jeff Jarvis
- The True Believer by Eric Hoffer
- Genome by Matt Ridley