Book reviews

Groups: a guide to small group work in healthcare manage-

ment, education and research by G. Elwyn, T. Greenhaugh and

F. MacFarlane. 2001. Radcliffe Medical Press. ISBN 1±85775±

400±X. Pp 320. Price £15.95.

The apparent ease with which the complexities of small group work

are so lucidly explored by Elwyn, Greenhalgh and MacFarlane's

readable and instructive insights belies the amount of mental effort

that has gone into constructing this text. All health-related work,

whether if is research, education or management related, is

increasingly concerned not just with the individual, but also with

work, family and social groups in which they function. Postmodern

culture not only values difference and complexity, but rather it

emphasizes it, viewing the individual in the context of their

environment. As such, the concepts explored within the book are

not new; they are, however, timely, bringing together contemporary

developments in small group work across a variety of disciplines and

contexts. The authors treat the reader to an insight into the use of

small groups for experiential training and education, for team

building, project management and for research purposes. Whilst

there are many texts which outline the bene®ts and limitations of

group processes, many of these originate in the world of counselling

and psychotherapy and although relevant are not always practical.

The pragmatic application for all healthcare professionals is the

strength of this particular text.

The book itself is divided into ®ve sections, and totals 19 chapters.

As an educator, researcher and practitioner myself, I felt that the book

could be used for and by people with a broad range of experience and

levels of expertise. Having said this, I found part 1 `Introduction' and

part 2 `The small group process' rather basic. These ®rst two parts

illuminate the tasks, roles and responsibilities of the group and the

group facilitator, using case examples to illustrate group processes,

including the problems that can occur (chapter 10 `When groups go

wrong'). For experienced facilitators it is a descriptive reminder of the

stages that groups journey through; nevertheless it provides a

practical guide for those new to, or interested in, understanding their

particular group process in, more depth.

Parts three to ®ve were of more interest to me for a number of

reasons. In part three the notion of evidence-based learning and the

evaluation of group work is addressed, as well as the `virtual group'.

This is followed by some pragmatic and theoretical applications of

group work within and across organizations and chapters relating to

research (focus groups and consensus research) and project

management. Education, research and practice are inextricably

linked; what is different about this book is that is uses the notion of a

group as the pivotal point from which to examine the different ways

of learning and expressing these different ways of knowing.

The text is logically constructed, each chapter has a helpful

reference list and is clearly punctuated by an introduction and

summary that serve to signpost the reader. The book meets the aims

of providing a practical guide for small group work and promotes

multidisciplinary cross fertilization of ideas and an accessible

summary of theoretical perspectives.

DAWN FRESHWATER

Senior Lecturer Practice Development,

School of Nursing, University of Nottingham,

Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UY

Re¯ective practice in nursing: the growth of the professional

practitioner by Sarah Burns and Chris Bulman (eds). 2000. 2nd

edn. Blackwell Science, Oxford. ISBN 0±632±05291±0. Pp 216.

Price £15.99.

This book responds to the increased interest in re¯ective practice

amongst all levels of nurses, and aims to provide a motivating and

accessible text to help practitioners master the fundamental skills

required. Beginning with some theories of re¯ection in relation to

nursing, it proceeds to discuss more practical issues, including

developing the necessary underlying skills, ways of assessing

re¯ective practice, the role of the mentor, and the use of re¯ective

practice in clinical supervision. It also describes some new research,

including an attempt to discover whether students introduced to

re¯ection during their training will continue to use this approach in

their everyday work after qualifying.

The book is well structured and presented in a logical order, with

each section written by a different author. The opening chapter

discusses various theories of re¯ective practice, citing educational,

philosophical and empirical perspectives. It offers a useful literature

review, and as well as the generally accepted bene®ts of re¯ective

practice also highlights some negative aspects, such as the lack of

empirical research into the subject. Although it is a logical place for

the book to begin, an appreciation of these views is not essential to

the student or practitioner wanting to use re¯ection, a point that the

authors themselves make. Indeed, the chapter is rather `wordy' in

places, and may initially deter some readers.

The following chapters however, are considerably more readable

and directly applicable to practice. Frequent and appropriate use is

made of examples and exerpts from actual re¯ective writings in

order to illustrate points more clearly. Chapter 2, for instance,

describes exercises to improve one's self-awareness and descriptive

abilities. With the help of a facilitator these exercises would be easy

to replicate, either on a one-to-one basis or in a small group.

Later chapters discuss the assessment and evaluation of

re¯ection, and the role of the mentor in aiding student re¯ections.

Again the authors provide useful reviews of the literature, as well

as practical help and examples on issues such as verbal and written

forms of re¯ection, enabling students to identify and meet their

own objectives, and the requirements of mentors themselves.

Chapter 4 in particular will be highly relevant to many practi-

tioners striving to provide students with bene®cial learning

Journal of Clinical Nursing 2001; 10: 587±589

Ó 2001 Blackwell Science Ltd 587

experiences. I would particularly recommend this chapter to any

quali®ed nurse who is currently acting, or preparing to act, as a

mentor. Similarly, the chapter on clinical supervision is a must for

anyone either seeking supervision or considering facilitating such a

method. Chapter 7 provides an interesting account of the author's

personal experience of becoming a re¯ective practitioner (a journey

which apparently began with a little more direction than a desire

to `have a go').

The use of practical examples throughout, written in an easily

accessible style, contribute to an interesting and highly motivating

book. It is of use as a reference text to any student being

encouraged to learn through re¯ection. For quali®ed nurses who

are interested, but as yet unfamiliar with the approach, it provides

a key handbook and will be a welcome addition to their

bookshelves.

CATHERINE HUGHES

Teacher Training Co-ordinator, University

Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF14 4XN

Principles of perioperative practice by Martin Hind and Paul

Wicker (eds.). 2000. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh. Pp 237.

Price £15.95.

This is a welcome addition to the literature on nursing in the

pre-, intra- and post-operative ®eld. In the `Preface' the editors note

how the role of the theatre nurse has changed, with the role of

the peri-operative nurse becoming the focus within the profession.

The editors do not however, provide a clear and succinct de®nition

of the term `peri-operative', but rather suggest that this nurse

encompasses numerous roles and responsibilities that would not

normally be automatically associated with a nurse working in the

surgical and theatre environments.

The book is written by a number of recognized practitioners and

academics, and is clearly up-to-date. Good references are provided

at the end of each chapter, along with suggestions for further

reading, useful addresses and relevant websites. A useful index is

found at the end of the text.

It provides substantial information and good discussion on

important and relevant topics such as the use of models of nursing,

ethics, quality care, risk management, evidence-based practice and

issues affecting retention of staff within the peri-operative environ-

ment. While the editors do not suggest that the text is suitable for

any one particular group of professionals, this book can and should

be read and used by practitioners and academics alike.

Each chapter is well written and can be easily understood. There

are clearly identi®ed subheadings, and bullet-points are used

appropriately. Tables are well presented and complement and add

to the content of the chapters. Case studies are used in most

chapters to exemplify certain points or concepts as they may relate

to practice. Most, but not all, chapters have a short conclusion.

I enjoyed reading the book, and it has to some extent helped me

to restructure my memories of my own work in this ®eld. I can

recommend this book for practitioners in the ®eld as well as

academics, as it could and should be used effectively in both practice

and education to enhance the understanding and development of the

peri-operative practitioner.

VIDAR MELBY

Lecturer in Nursing, School of Health Sciences,

University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA,

Northern Ireland

Heart health at your ®ngertips by Graham Jackson. 2000. 2nd

edn. Class publishing, UK. Pp 249. ISBN 1±85959±009±8. Price

£14.99.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the largest single cause of

death and morbidity in the UK. However, many sufferers and their

partners have little understanding of their illness, what their

treatment entails, how to adapt their lifestyle and behaviour in order

to lengthen and improve their quality of life.

While all heart attack patients should now be offered a form of

cardiac rehabilitation, the same cannot be said for patients suffering

from other manifestations of CHD, for example, angina, dysrhyth-

mia and heart failure. Often patients suffering from angina or an

dysrhythmia (and their partners) have little or no contact with a

specialist practitioner or cardiologist and thus have little or no

opportunity to discuss their fears and anxieties or to have their

questions answered. Lack of information may result in heightened

psychological distress, the adoption of inappropriate behaviour and

misconceptions about their illness, all of which may have a negative

in¯uence on therapeutic bene®t and reduce their quality of life.

Often, patients and their partners seek information from other

sufferers, friends, the internet and the media.

This book provides current and accurate information about

CHD, its investigation and treatment. It offers explanations on how

patients and their partners can help themselves and answers a

number of frequently asked questions all based on the author's

clinical experiences. In this second edition, information is updated

to include recent advances in the care and treatment of CHD.

Signi®cantly however, the author critically examines some of the

dangers associated with following some dietary advice and unsup-

ported treatment regimes.

The book is logically structured and has an easy reader-friendly

format. Medical terminology is clearly explained and the emphasis is

on facilitating understanding of what is potentially a complex and

confusing topic. Illustrations are clear, and the use of humour

throughout the text helps to make this a very reader-friendly book.

Overall, the book is well structured and has accurate information

aimed at providing answers to frequently asked questions by CHD

sufferers and their families. It could also be a useful source of

information for health care professionals, although this use may be

limited by its simpli®ed writing style.

ALUN ROEBUCK

Research Fellow, Department of Health Studies,

University of York, Genesis 6, University Road,

Heslington, York YO10 5DQ

588 Book reviews

Ó 2001 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 10, 587±589