Dr. Elizabeth Van Horn

Associate Professor, Adult Health Nursing

Range of Motion
by Elizabeth Berg

Elizabeth Berg, a nurse who became a writer, is my favorite author. Her characters often face a difficult experience and Elizabeth allows us to grieve, cope, and find hope with them. She shows us how to grow through adversity and how to lean on the kindness and sympathy of others on the journey. What I love most about her writing is that she can describe a feeling that we’ve all had in a new way that exactly captures the experience. I selected her novel, Range of Motion, because it tells the story of Lainey, a wife and mother who is coping with the aftermath of her husband’s traumatic injury. As a former critical care trauma nurse, my area of research has focused on recovery from traumatic injury. I am especially interested in helping individuals and families cope, find resources, and improve their outcomes after injury. This novel brought together the writing of my favorite author and my research in a story that is both touching and inspirational.