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Perioperative Nursing: Principles and Practice
AORN JOURNAL
JUNE 1993, VOL 57, NO 6
for physicians than nurses, has a deeper insight for nurses who need to “rethink” a difficult case. It leads the reader on a journey to find missing pieces and the excellent results of teamwork and communication. The reader also is encouraged to look beyond his or her specialty and to be aware of the whole patient and of medicine as a whole. This book is available from Butterworth Heinemann, 80 Montvale Ave, Stoneham, MA
02 180. HELENCZAJKOWSKI, RN, CNOR STAFF NURSE
VAIL(COLO)VALLEYMEDICAL CENTER
NURSING PRACTICE Perioperative Nursing: Principles and Practice By Susan S. Fairchild 1993,656 p p $52.50 hat-dcovetPet-iopermit!rNursing: Principles and Practice is a very good teaching text. The module format is logical, and the overview, objectives, and topic outline add clarity. The chapters are well organized, and the questions and selfassessment exercises are good teaching techniques. This text provides a succinct, comprehensive exploration of core material for entrylevel practitioners and serves as a review for experienced practitioners. The text is divided into five modules. In module I, the history of perioperative nursing, departmental management, and standards of perioperative nursing are examined. Module I1 addresses the biophysical sciences and how they interrelate with nursing practice in the OR. Module I11 describes asepsis and the surgical environment. Module IV examines nursing practice in the perioperative arena with an emphasis on the nursing process and patient care management. Module V presents a surgical anthology and related perioperative nursing practices. The first chapter in module V has 3 1 exercises that review body system anatomy. This section makes this text significantly differI414
ent from other basic perioperative texts. The contributing authors have strong teaching backgrounds whose styles blend well with that of the principal author. This is demonstrated by the procedural charts, illustrations, and performance checklists. The wound classifications are well-planned additions to each surgical procedure. Although all the authors present new procedures and techniques, they use photographs of older orthopedic and vascular implants rather than photographs of the newer devices that are available. There are several typographical errors that are distracting. There are other mistakes, such as using the term neodynamic yag instead of neodymium yag; in one part, there are 26 spinal vertebrae instead of 33; and the book says oxygen is used as a gas source for powered equipment. Overall, the book has merit, and I would not let the mistakes overshadow the value of this very useful text, which is available from Jones and Bartlett Publishers. 20 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 021 16. CAROLYN VOLPICELLO, RN, MA, CNOR SENIORSTAFF NURSE ST VINCENT’S HOSPITAL NEWYORKCITY
GENERAL INTEREST Hand jgiene: A Manual for Health Care Professionals By Barbara J . Gruendemann 1992.20~~ $12.95 paperback One of the less cynical reactions I had to this book was that Johnson & Johnson, its publisher, has entered the coffee-table book business, a response evoked by the pamphlet’s more than 15 illustrations of hands. Although aesthetically pleasing, the drawings are an oblique way of adding graphics to a few terse comments about hand hygiene. The author discusses hand washing behaviors, the purposes and procedures of hand washing and skin cleaning, and topical antimicrobials.
JUNE 1993, VOL 57, NO 6
for physicians than nurses, has a deeper insight for nurses who need to “rethink” a difficult case. It leads the reader on a journey to find missing pieces and the excellent results of teamwork and communication. The reader also is encouraged to look beyond his or her specialty and to be aware of the whole patient and of medicine as a whole. This book is available from Butterworth Heinemann, 80 Montvale Ave, Stoneham, MA
02 180. HELENCZAJKOWSKI, RN, CNOR STAFF NURSE
VAIL(COLO)VALLEYMEDICAL CENTER
NURSING PRACTICE Perioperative Nursing: Principles and Practice By Susan S. Fairchild 1993,656 p p $52.50 hat-dcovetPet-iopermit!rNursing: Principles and Practice is a very good teaching text. The module format is logical, and the overview, objectives, and topic outline add clarity. The chapters are well organized, and the questions and selfassessment exercises are good teaching techniques. This text provides a succinct, comprehensive exploration of core material for entrylevel practitioners and serves as a review for experienced practitioners. The text is divided into five modules. In module I, the history of perioperative nursing, departmental management, and standards of perioperative nursing are examined. Module I1 addresses the biophysical sciences and how they interrelate with nursing practice in the OR. Module I11 describes asepsis and the surgical environment. Module IV examines nursing practice in the perioperative arena with an emphasis on the nursing process and patient care management. Module V presents a surgical anthology and related perioperative nursing practices. The first chapter in module V has 3 1 exercises that review body system anatomy. This section makes this text significantly differI414
ent from other basic perioperative texts. The contributing authors have strong teaching backgrounds whose styles blend well with that of the principal author. This is demonstrated by the procedural charts, illustrations, and performance checklists. The wound classifications are well-planned additions to each surgical procedure. Although all the authors present new procedures and techniques, they use photographs of older orthopedic and vascular implants rather than photographs of the newer devices that are available. There are several typographical errors that are distracting. There are other mistakes, such as using the term neodynamic yag instead of neodymium yag; in one part, there are 26 spinal vertebrae instead of 33; and the book says oxygen is used as a gas source for powered equipment. Overall, the book has merit, and I would not let the mistakes overshadow the value of this very useful text, which is available from Jones and Bartlett Publishers. 20 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 021 16. CAROLYN VOLPICELLO, RN, MA, CNOR SENIORSTAFF NURSE ST VINCENT’S HOSPITAL NEWYORKCITY
GENERAL INTEREST Hand jgiene: A Manual for Health Care Professionals By Barbara J . Gruendemann 1992.20~~ $12.95 paperback One of the less cynical reactions I had to this book was that Johnson & Johnson, its publisher, has entered the coffee-table book business, a response evoked by the pamphlet’s more than 15 illustrations of hands. Although aesthetically pleasing, the drawings are an oblique way of adding graphics to a few terse comments about hand hygiene. The author discusses hand washing behaviors, the purposes and procedures of hand washing and skin cleaning, and topical antimicrobials.