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Ethics in nursing practice – a guide to ethical decision making (2nd edn)
Book Reviews
Furthermore, a chapter on all the normal values of investigations performed would be beneficial such as bloods that may be requested, urinalysis etc. Within this section it may also be useful to identify that we do different observations in the Emergency Department such as bilateral blood pressures or lying and standing ones and the types of conditions that would benefit from these observations. This may act as an aide memoir for junior medical and nursing staff. I feel that if these points were considered then the book would benefit both professional groups enormously. Yvette Salmon Nurse Lecturer/Practitioner Whittington Hospital Highgate London, UK doi:10.1016/S0965-2302(02)00216-3
Working with substance misusers: a guide to theory and practice
However, the main chapters of interest in this section are those on ‘Medical Prescribing’ and ‘Physical Health Problems’ related to substance misuse. Part 3 offers information on issues such as health promotion, organisation of services, and concentrates on certain specific client groups. For those who want to delve deeper, points are raised throughout the book to provoke thought or discussion, on either a group or individual basis. There are also a number of very useful case studies. Having read this text, I am now a convert and have been personally motivated to go away and learn more about substance misuse. What better testimony can a book have? Lorna McInulty Consultant Nurse, Emergency Services, Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Trust, Wigan Lane, WN1 2NN Wigan, UK doi:10.1016/S0965-2302(03)00003-1
Evidence based counselling and psychological therapies
T. Petersen, A. McBride (Eds) Routledge 2002 ISBN 0415235677 HB £60 ISBN 0415235685 PB £18.99
Nancy Rowland, Stephen Goss (Eds) Routledge ISBN 0 415 20507 7 PB £16.99
Substance misuse is not an issue that inspires me and I confess that when I received this text it was with something of a ‘heart sink’ feeling. The test of a good book is perhaps the author’s ability to ‘interest the disinterested’ so when I started reading I was amazed to find myself riveted. Perhaps it is the easy style of writing that runs through the book despite a number of different contributors. Perhaps it is the fact that a subject that so many nurses find difficult to deal with is presented in such a positive way. Whatever the reason, the book is highly palatable. Geared towards staff who work with patients in whom substance misuse is the main complaint, it probably presents more information than is needed by the average emergency nurse. Nevertheless, emergency nurses do need some foundation knowledge and this is ably dealt with in Part 1 of the book entitled, ‘The Basics’. Particularly helpful is the section describing the main drugs of misuse, their street names (yes, I remember the days when words like ‘ganja’ and ‘blow’ left me blank), their mode of use, main effects, side effects, withdrawal effects, risks and suggestions for ‘who uses’. Had I stopped reading there, I would already have considered that I’d had my moneys worth. Part 2 covers, ‘The Care and Treatment of Substance Misusers’ and serves to better inform emergency nurses should they want to refer or advise patients about possible treatment options.
A/E nurses will find little of relevance for them in this book. The editors aim to assess the impact of evidence-based health care (EBHC) on NHS policy and the provision of psychological therapies in the NHS, as well as discussing the implications for professional practice. The content is highly relevant to mental health work and training, but only some of the more general chapters on EBHC and the research methods that underpin it, would be of interest to others. Lisa Hadfield-Law, Management Consultant, Oxford, UK doi:10.1016/S0965-2302(03)00005-5
Ethics in nursing practice – a guide to ethical decision making (2nd edn) S.T. Fry, M. Johnstone (eds) Oxford Blackwell Publishing 2002 ISBN 0 632 05935 4 £27.50 PBK Truly an international book (based primarily on the International Council of Nurses’ (ICN) work) I
Accident and Emergency Nursing (2 0 0 3 ) 11, 1 8 6 – 1 9 2
191
Book Reviews
found ‘Ethics’ easy to use and readily applicable throughout my practice. The main focus of this book is in applying ethical principles to dilemmas arising not only directly from practice but also from the basic responsibilities of nursing, i.e., promoting health, preventing illness, etc. These are examined using numerous case study analyses, and exercises, which can be undertaken either individually or within an educational framework. Although the main body of the book is given over to practical ethical decision-making issues, the introductory section of the book examines ethical principles and is invaluable to all those studying ethics at any level. The chapters on ‘Value formation’ and ‘Ethical concepts in nursing practice’ I found especially useful. This section also explores a number of decision-making frameworks, upon
192
Accident and Emergency Nursing (2 0 0 3 ) 11, 1 8 6 – 1 9 2
which the later chapters are based. Each chapter is well referenced, and the book also includes an extensive bibliography and the ICN Code of Ethics, as well as two related papers. Ethics is a very dry and often dreaded subject in the nursing curricula, but this book makes it accessible and is surprisingly readable. Heather M. McClelland RGN, DipHE, PgDip, MSc, Practice Development Facilitator, A&E Department, Leeds General Infirmary, Gt. George Street, Leeds, UK doi:10.1016/S0965-2302(03)00016-X
Furthermore, a chapter on all the normal values of investigations performed would be beneficial such as bloods that may be requested, urinalysis etc. Within this section it may also be useful to identify that we do different observations in the Emergency Department such as bilateral blood pressures or lying and standing ones and the types of conditions that would benefit from these observations. This may act as an aide memoir for junior medical and nursing staff. I feel that if these points were considered then the book would benefit both professional groups enormously. Yvette Salmon Nurse Lecturer/Practitioner Whittington Hospital Highgate London, UK doi:10.1016/S0965-2302(02)00216-3
Working with substance misusers: a guide to theory and practice
However, the main chapters of interest in this section are those on ‘Medical Prescribing’ and ‘Physical Health Problems’ related to substance misuse. Part 3 offers information on issues such as health promotion, organisation of services, and concentrates on certain specific client groups. For those who want to delve deeper, points are raised throughout the book to provoke thought or discussion, on either a group or individual basis. There are also a number of very useful case studies. Having read this text, I am now a convert and have been personally motivated to go away and learn more about substance misuse. What better testimony can a book have? Lorna McInulty Consultant Nurse, Emergency Services, Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Trust, Wigan Lane, WN1 2NN Wigan, UK doi:10.1016/S0965-2302(03)00003-1
Evidence based counselling and psychological therapies
T. Petersen, A. McBride (Eds) Routledge 2002 ISBN 0415235677 HB £60 ISBN 0415235685 PB £18.99
Nancy Rowland, Stephen Goss (Eds) Routledge ISBN 0 415 20507 7 PB £16.99
Substance misuse is not an issue that inspires me and I confess that when I received this text it was with something of a ‘heart sink’ feeling. The test of a good book is perhaps the author’s ability to ‘interest the disinterested’ so when I started reading I was amazed to find myself riveted. Perhaps it is the easy style of writing that runs through the book despite a number of different contributors. Perhaps it is the fact that a subject that so many nurses find difficult to deal with is presented in such a positive way. Whatever the reason, the book is highly palatable. Geared towards staff who work with patients in whom substance misuse is the main complaint, it probably presents more information than is needed by the average emergency nurse. Nevertheless, emergency nurses do need some foundation knowledge and this is ably dealt with in Part 1 of the book entitled, ‘The Basics’. Particularly helpful is the section describing the main drugs of misuse, their street names (yes, I remember the days when words like ‘ganja’ and ‘blow’ left me blank), their mode of use, main effects, side effects, withdrawal effects, risks and suggestions for ‘who uses’. Had I stopped reading there, I would already have considered that I’d had my moneys worth. Part 2 covers, ‘The Care and Treatment of Substance Misusers’ and serves to better inform emergency nurses should they want to refer or advise patients about possible treatment options.
A/E nurses will find little of relevance for them in this book. The editors aim to assess the impact of evidence-based health care (EBHC) on NHS policy and the provision of psychological therapies in the NHS, as well as discussing the implications for professional practice. The content is highly relevant to mental health work and training, but only some of the more general chapters on EBHC and the research methods that underpin it, would be of interest to others. Lisa Hadfield-Law, Management Consultant, Oxford, UK doi:10.1016/S0965-2302(03)00005-5
Ethics in nursing practice – a guide to ethical decision making (2nd edn) S.T. Fry, M. Johnstone (eds) Oxford Blackwell Publishing 2002 ISBN 0 632 05935 4 £27.50 PBK Truly an international book (based primarily on the International Council of Nurses’ (ICN) work) I
Accident and Emergency Nursing (2 0 0 3 ) 11, 1 8 6 – 1 9 2
191
Book Reviews
found ‘Ethics’ easy to use and readily applicable throughout my practice. The main focus of this book is in applying ethical principles to dilemmas arising not only directly from practice but also from the basic responsibilities of nursing, i.e., promoting health, preventing illness, etc. These are examined using numerous case study analyses, and exercises, which can be undertaken either individually or within an educational framework. Although the main body of the book is given over to practical ethical decision-making issues, the introductory section of the book examines ethical principles and is invaluable to all those studying ethics at any level. The chapters on ‘Value formation’ and ‘Ethical concepts in nursing practice’ I found especially useful. This section also explores a number of decision-making frameworks, upon
192
Accident and Emergency Nursing (2 0 0 3 ) 11, 1 8 6 – 1 9 2
which the later chapters are based. Each chapter is well referenced, and the book also includes an extensive bibliography and the ICN Code of Ethics, as well as two related papers. Ethics is a very dry and often dreaded subject in the nursing curricula, but this book makes it accessible and is surprisingly readable. Heather M. McClelland RGN, DipHE, PgDip, MSc, Practice Development Facilitator, A&E Department, Leeds General Infirmary, Gt. George Street, Leeds, UK doi:10.1016/S0965-2302(03)00016-X