688 • AORN JOURNAL OCTOBER 2006, VOL 84, NO 4 Reviews the cartoons or tongue-in- cheek exaggerations of our health care system that are presented in the book; humor has its place, after all. This book includes facts and information useful to both pa- tients and nurses, and it can be used as a resource and teaching tool long before there is an actual need for the information. This book is available from Free Press, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. HELEN BECKWITH RN, CNOR STAFF NURSE V AIL V ALLEY MEDICAL CENTER V AIL, COLO Foundations in Nursing and Health Care: Profiles and Portfolios of Evidence Ruth Pearce 2003, 124 pages £14 softcover This book provides a con- cise and well-written look at the development and use of a professional portfolio. Nursing students are guided through the process of organ- izing and setting up their first portfolio. Nursing students sometimes see portfolio development as busy- work or just something that is required for a course, but the chapters on link- ing theory to practice and why a portfolio is useful will answer many questions from students as to why developing a portfolio is important. This book does a particu- larly good job of illustrating how a nurse might use expe- riential case studies to illus- trate professional growth and how he or she might link these case studies to a career ladder more effectively. For a long time, nurses have had difficulty articulating what effects their actions have on patient care. The author uses a case study of an unreasonable workload to show readers how to use case studies to effectively highlight problem areas. The book also examines the issues of continuing professional education, applying for particular positions, and developing a focused and effective curriculum vitae. All of these topics are covered well and will be useful to a new graduate. A CD-ROM is included with the book, and it contains numerous templates for docu- ments useful to students and professional nurses, such as examples of portfolios, curriculum vitae formats, and resumes. The templates are easy to use and offer a nice starting point for someone new to the process of career development. The only drawback to the book is one of language. The book was written and pub- lished in the United Kingdom, and some of the language may confuse American students. For example, concepts such as aca- demic levels of certificate, diploma, and degree by stu- dent years in a “programme” or applications to a “trust” might require some explana- tion for US students. Overall, this is a very good book with some nice features, but it should be evaluated carefully before it is adopted for stu- dent use. This book is available from Nelson Thornes Ltd, Delta Place, 27 Bath Rd, Chelten- ham GL53 7TH, United Kingdom. LESLEY HENDERSON RN, MSN, CNOR ASSISTANT PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF NURSING GEORGIA HIGHLANDS COLLEGE ROME, GA PNDS @ Work: Clinical Competencies and Job Descriptions Susan V. M. Kleinbeck 2005, 64 pages $15 member/$19 nonmember softcover This book is one in a series of five that describes how the Perioperative Nursing Data Set (PNDS) vocabulary can be used in everyday perioperative nursing practice and adapted

Foundations in Nursing and Health Care: Profiles and Portfolios of Evidence

Download PDF Report

Upload
lesley-henderson
View
220
Download
4

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Foundations in Nursing and Health Care: Profiles and Portfolios of Evidence

688 • AORN JOURNAL

OCTOBER 2006, VOL 84, NO 4 Reviews

the cartoons or tongue-in-cheek exaggerations of ourhealth care system that arepresented in the book; humorhas its place, after all. Thisbook includes facts and infor-mation useful to both pa-tients and nurses, and it canbe used as a resource andteaching tool long beforethere is an actual need for theinformation.

This book is available fromFree Press, a Division ofSimon & Schuster, Inc, 1230Avenue of the Americas, NewYork, NY 10020.

HELEN BECKWITHRN, CNORSTAFF NURSE

VAIL VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER

VAIL, COLO

Foundations inNursing andHealth Care:Profiles andPortfolios of

EvidenceRuth Pearce

2003, 124 pages£14 softcover

This book provides a con-cise and well-written look atthe development and use ofa professional portfolio.Nursing students are guidedthrough the process of organ-izing and setting up theirfirst portfolio. Nursing stu-dents sometimes see portfo-lio development as busy-work or just something that

is required for acourse, but thechapters on link-ing theory to prac-tice and why aportfolio is useful willanswer many questions fromstudents as to why develop-ing a portfolio is important.

This book does a particu-larly good job of illustratinghow a nurse might use expe-riential case studies to illus-trate professional growth andhow he or she might linkthese case studies to a careerladder more effectively. For along time, nurses have haddifficulty articulating whateffects their actions have onpatient care. The author uses acase study of an unreasonableworkload to show readershow to use case studies toeffectively highlight problemareas. The book also examinesthe issues of continuing pro-fessional education, applyingfor particular positions, anddeveloping a focused andeffective curriculum vitae. Allof these topics are coveredwell and will be useful to anew graduate.

A CD-ROM is includedwith the book, and it containsnumerous templates for docu-ments useful to students andprofessional nurses, such asexamples of portfolios, cur-riculum vitae formats, andresumes. The templates areeasy to use and offer a nicestarting point for someonenew to the process of careerdevelopment.

The only drawback to thebook is one of language. Thebook was written and pub-

lished in the UnitedKingdom, and someof the language mayconfuse American stu-dents. For example,concepts such as aca-

demic levels of certificate,diploma, and degree by stu-dent years in a “programme”or applications to a “trust”might require some explana-tion for US students. Overall,this is a very good book withsome nice features, but itshould be evaluated carefullybefore it is adopted for stu-dent use.

This book is available fromNelson Thornes Ltd, DeltaPlace, 27 Bath Rd, Chelten-ham GL53 7TH, UnitedKingdom.

LESLEY HENDERSONRN, MSN, CNOR

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

DEPARTMENT OF NURSING

GEORGIA HIGHLANDS COLLEGE

ROME, GA

PNDS @ Work:Clinical

Competenciesand Job

DescriptionsSusan V. M. Kleinbeck

2005, 64 pages$15 member/$19 nonmember

softcover

This book is one in a seriesof five that describes how thePerioperative Nursing Data Set(PNDS) vocabulary can beused in everyday perioperativenursing practice and adapted