Pearls for Nursing Practice: A Choice Collection of Tips, Hints, Timesavers, Improvisations, and Bright Ideas that Make Nursing Easier and Patients Happier.

Pearls for Nursing Practice: A Choice Collection of Tips, Hints, Timesavers, Improvisations, and Bright Ideas that Make Nursing Easier and Patients Happier.

normal body structure and pathologicalconditions are displayed. The procedures included are in current orthopedic practice. The book does not discuss ...

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normal body structure and pathologicalconditions are displayed. The procedures included are in current orthopedic practice. The book does not discuss the requiredinstrumentation. This is a valuable resource for nurses who must instruct others about the procedure and a great aid for the new graduate and student nurse. I earnestly recommend acquiring this book for your library. I have already ordered mine. June Shibe, RN Marlton. NJ

Pearls for Nursing Practice: A Choice Collection of Tips, Hints, Timesavers, Improvisations, and Bright Ideas that Make Nursing Easier and Patients Happier. Nichols, ArleneOdom; Day, Joy. J B Lippincott Go, PO Box 7758, Philadelphia, Pa 19101, 1979, 215 pp, $8.75 paperback. As its title implies, this is a book to help nurses to “work smarter” and, in doing so, to make their patients happier. The authors collected their tips from the health care personnel at the Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics and the J Hillis Miller Health Center at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Some are old tips that may have been forgottenor never learned, and many are as new as the techniques and equipment constantly being introduced into nursing practice. The authors warn the reader, however, that no book of helpful hints can function as a substitute for sound nursing judgment. The book is divided into three units. Unit one concerns “Pearls for Basic Needs” and includes chapters on mobility; comfort and hygiene; IV therapy, nutrition, and hydration; elimination; and psychosocial aspects. The psychosocial chapter covers pediatric and geriatric patients; the patient with visual, hearing, or language disorders; visitors; keeping patients informed; communicating with patients with various language and cultural backgrounds, and aids in meeting psychosocia1 needs. Unit twodeals with special problems such as medication administration, special therapeutic and diagnostic measures, physiological monitoring, infection control, and safety. The last unit provides ”Pearls for Nursing Management“ to help the nurse in managing

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the clinical unit and in health education. There are tips concerning ordering supplies, procedures, policies, promoting organization, nursing rounds, reports and supervision, resources, collecting data, strategies for health teaching, and many others. There are many photos and diagrams to illustrate the step-by-step instructions. Introductory paragraphs at the beginning of each chapter are also interesting.Although you may find that you know many of the tips containedin this book, you may find yourself wondering why you aren’t using them and be inspired to do so. This is a good source book for nursing personnel, and it is one that procedure committees will find helpfulwhen reviewingor revising their nursing procedure manuals. Sister Kane, RHSJ, RN Cornwait, Ontario

Surgical Care: A Physiologic Approach to Clinical Management. Condon, Robert E; DeCosse, Jerome J. Lea & Febiger, 600 Washington Square, Philadelphia, Pa 19106, 1980, 456 pp, $37.50. This excellent medical textbook, which provides a comprehensive background on many surgical subjects, is the work of almost 50 contributors. They were asked to “develop their subjects in depth with a strong emphasis on the appropriate mix of biochemical, physiologic, pharmacologic, and biophysical principles that gird diagnosis and treatmsnt.” They were requested to “translate these principles into current methods of management” and “to focus on postoperative care because much of the challenge is in this domain.” The result is a book with much new information in pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Section I covers abdominal surgery. It includes stress and upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage after trauma or operation; delayed gastric emptying; fistulas and anastomotic leaks; biliary obstructions, leaks, and infections; pancreatitis; and ileostomies and colostomies. The cardiothoracic section is concerned with noncardiogenic pulmonary edema; phlebitis, thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism; and cardiac problems. The failed arterial graft, disorderly hemostasis, and transfu-

AORN Journal, October 1980, Vol32, N o 4