Surprised by Nothing

Surviving the ER World of Worst-Case Scenarios

Kathryn Kyker

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English

GFB
19 August 2025

Accident & emergency medicine; Popular medicine & health; Mind, Body, Spirit: thought & practice

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 landscape sabotaged, Kathryn set out on a quest to regain her relationship with curiosity, joy, and the bonds that make us human. The result is a reflective interrogation of the US health care system, a meditation on social work, and a thoughtful inquiry into the emotional responsibilities we have to ourselves-and one another.

Full of compassion and humorous insight, Surprised by Nothing is a compelling reminder of how to live a creative and nurturing life, even in the face of the world's random, devastating hardships.

A portion of this book's proceeds will be donated to Project HOPE, which supports health care workers and improves access to care around the world.

By: Kathryn Kyker
Imprint: GFB
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 16mm
Weight: 376g
ISBN: 9781964721606
ISBN 10: 1964721601
Pages: 278
Publication Date: 19 August 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Kathryn Kyker spent twenty-nine years as an ER social worker. A licensed MSW, she received her bachelor's degree in social work from Western Carolina University and a master's degree in social work from the University of Georgia. Kathryn received her hospital's Emergency Medical Service Special Achievement Award in 2008. Her writing has appeared in publications such as Salvation South, Boom Magazine, and Flagpole. Two short films have been produced from her screenplays. She lives in Georgia and North Carolina, where she writes, bikes, and curates a summer film series sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UGA.