NOVEMBER 2002, VOL 76, NO 5

become upon completion of the course.

This book is available ftom Scribner, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

DEB MILLER RN, BS, CNOR

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PERlOPERATlVE SERVICES

GALESBURQ C ~ A Q E HOSPITAL GALESBURQ, ILL

YOUR 7ST YEAR AS A NURSE By Donna Klk Cardillo 2001, 267pp $19.95 paperback

ne of the four books in the “Your First Year” series, this 0 is an excellent reference

book targeted toward nursing stu- dents and recent nurse graduates. The author has two decades of nursing experience and is consid- ered a leading expert on nursing career management. The book contains an abundance of useful information on how to make the transition ftom newly graduated nurse to seasoned professional, covering topics such as applying and interviewing for a job, nontra- ditional nursing paths, stereotypes, personal appearance, and effective networking, with basic nursing concepts woven in between. In this book, the author explains what it takes to become a success- ful professional nurse.

The foreward tells of a nurse executive’s personal nursing school experience, which is meant to captivate readers and set the tone. The introduction is written with positive encouragement that highlights the mood for the rest of the book.

The book is written in very basic terms and includes easy-to- follow concepts. It is a fast and easy read, which allows for absorption of and reflection on the concepts introduced. Especially helpful are the sidebars that con- tain vignettes, guidance, lessons

learned, and quotes from various professional and newly graduated nurses. Ideas are reiterated throughout the book, and concepts build on each other. In each chap- ter, the author emphasizes the pos- itive, but she also offers a straight- forward approach to the negative, including stress, adversity, con- flict, and burnout. The book also discusses how to stay focused on current goals.

resource in and of itself. It is filled with telephone numbers, address- es, and web sites of various organizations, specialty associa- tions, state associations, and spe- cial interest groups. It also con- tains Canadian resources, recom- mended readings, and a list of journals.

I especially enjoyed chapter three-“Becoming a team mem- ber.” This chapter offers nurses a basic refresher on positive com- munication and teamwork, as well as readjusting one’s attitude. Although the intended audience is newly graduated nurses, I think this book would be beneficial for all nurses to use as a resource and as a guide for reflection and inspiration.

Prima Publishing, 3000 Lava Ridge Ct, Roseville, CA 95661; http://www.primalifestyles.com.

The appendix is a great

This book is available fiom

CHRISTINE SNOWDEN RN, BSN, CNOR,

LT, NURSE CORPS, us NAVY STAFF NURSE

NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER SAM REOO

CRITICAL CARE NURSING OF THE ELDERLY, second ed Terry T Fulmer et al, eds 2001, 430pp $53.95 hardback

s the US population ages, medical care will be affected. A Medical care providers need

to be aware of a wide variety of

health care issues not seen routine- ly among the younger population. This book examines critical care nursing practices for older adults, but it can be used in several health care arenas. It covers a wide spec- trum of older adult health care issues seen in hospitals, nursing homes, and community health nursing. The book is well written and an excellent resource for all nurses who provide care for this population, no matter what the health care setting.

The book is divided into four parts. The fmt part provides infor- mation about basic clinical issues that often arise when dealing with the older adult population, such as nutritional problems, assessment for pain, sleep disturbances, uri- nary tract problems, comorbidities with acute illnesses, and preven- tion of injuries in the home and elsewhere. Several tables and charts are presented that nurses can use to evaluate patients and their specific problems. The sec- ond part of the book examines the interaction of disease and aging, as well as older adults’ perceptions on aging. It presents information on how disease and aging affect the use, effects, and metabolism of medications; methods of educating older adult patients about their health care problems; assessing patient outcomes and deciding what outcomes to measure; dis- charge planning for each level of health care; and helping family members through short- and long- term care of their loved one.

The third part of the book focuses exclusively on the care of older adult patients in the intensive care, coronary care, and trauma care units. Not only are specific injuries and diseases examined, but quality of life, discharge planning, use of invasive therapies, and how aging affects the course of disease and injury also are examined. The last part of the book covers the social and political implications of

900 AORN JOURNAL

NOVEMBER 2002, VOL 76, NO 5

providing care for this patient pop- ulation. Ethical decision making is discussed using the moral princi- ples of autonomy, respect for oth- ers, justice, beneficence, and non- malfeasance. The author examines end-of-life care through several different perspectives, such as pal- liative care, hospice care, and cw- ing to caring. The importance of spiritual and religious concerns also is discussed in-depth, includ- ing how nurses may help with the patient’s and patient’s family members’ spiritual well-being. The meanings and implications of advanced directives, do-not-resus- citate orders, and withholding or withdrawing care are reviewed, ethically and legally.

This book is easy to read and understand, and it provides nurses with a wealth of usehl informa- tion. It is an excellent resource book, and I highly recommend it for anyone providing care to the older adult population.

This book is available from Springer Publishing Co, 536 Broadway, New York, NY 100 10; http://www.springerpub.com.

CYNTHIA D. TURNER RN, BSN, MSN, CNOR,

LCDR, NURSE CORPS, US NAVY

NAVAL HOSPITAL CAMP PENDLETON CALIF

TEAM LEADER

ORTHOPEDIC PATIENT EDUCATION RESOURCE MANUAL, second ed Nancy L. Hiltz, ed 2001, 6 sections $229, loose-leaf binder

roviding patients with concise, timely, pertinent information P is a challenge in today’s fast-

paced health care environment. This manual serves as an aid to meet this challenge. It addresses developing easy-to-read patient education materials and provides patient education handouts on a wide range of topics related to musculoskeletal disorders. The handouts are intended to decrease patient anxiety and help patients make informed health care deci- sions. The purpose of this manual is to help health care providers implement a high quality, compre- hensive patient education program by providing low-literacy patient education materials in both English and Spanish.

This resource manual includes numerous patient education hand- outs at two readability levels- third grade and sixth grade. The topics are organized according to five categories:

diagnostic studies, traumatic orthopedic conditions, nontraumatic orthopedic conditions, pain management, and surgical proceduredtechniques.

Each handout addresses one topic and is presented in an easy-to- read font. The length of each handout varies, ranging from two pages to 10 pages.

The manual also provides information on how to write easy- to-read patient education materials and how to identify and present essential patient education infor- mation. Issues that are likely to affect patient comprehension are reviewed, including writing style, readability, and simplicity of lan- guage. Key variables to include when testing materials for com- prehension also are addressed.

This manual uses a loose-leaf format that allows for easy removal of patient education handouts and easy placement of future updates. The materials will be expanded, updated, and refined through annual supplements. The handouts also are available on CD-ROM, making them easy to personalize with additional com- ments, instructions, font changes, and clip art. Space is available for inclusion of the facility’s logo and contact information.

The reference materials and handouts in this manual can be used in a variety of ways. The handouts can be copied and placed in examination rooms or waiting rooms so patients can read about topics of personal interest. They can be copied and distributed to patients, with addi- tional instructions, as needed. The reference materials can be used for staff member develop- ment by adding a post-test or using supplemental material, if needed.

I recommend this resource manual. It is clearly written, easy to understand, and designed for ease of use. It is a welcome addi- tion to the limited resources avail- able to help health care practition- ers meet the educational needs of low-literacy English- and Spanish- speaking orthopedic patients.

This book is available from Aspen Publishers, Inc, 200 Orchard Dr, Suite 200, Gaithersburg, MD 20878; http://www.aspenpublishers.com.

GWENDOLYN WATKINS RN, PHD, CNOR

MANAGER, NURSING EDUCATION AND PUALITY

WEST SUBURBAN HEALTH CARE OAK PARK, ILL

901 AOUN JOURNAL