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Care of the long-stay elderly patient
NURSE EDUCATION TODAY are still, however, many unanswered questions. It seems that the changes occur not just at random, but apparently they are strongly influenced by local events and personalities. It is probable that further work in this field should include a profile of the institution concerned in order to assess the effect of the underlying ideological systems. Student nurses are inevitably a product of their hospitals and schools of nursing. Since 1919, several syIIibi have been issued from the General Nursing Council. The interpretation of the syllabus and development of the curriculum has usually been left to individual training schools. More recently the General Nursing Council has issued directives which have some curriculum basis. An example of this can be seen in the 1977 document 'A statement of educational policy'. This statement puts emphasis on teaching nurse-patient interaction, the nursing model, a preventative health model and b,ehavioural objectives. The main problem that still exists for nurse educators is the lack of evaluation tools. The one measurable criterion in regular use so far is the firsttime pass rate for state final examinations. Evidence collected from the school used in this study suggests that over the years this figure has been remarkably constant even through several curriculum changes. .It is important to remember, however, that other
Book Reviews (Continued) CARE OF THE LONG-STAY ELDERLY PATIENT M J Denham (Ed) (1983) Croom Helm, London, pp 230, iIlus, hardback £14.95, paperback £8.95 TIllS nOOK has a readable style and provides a wide scope of background information on which to base care. Each chapter is by an expert in his/her own field, and, apart from the last chapter about American Institution, all of the contributors are British. There is great emphasis on the quality of life and some practical observations on achieving and measuring this. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the value of art and music, and for nurses whose time is largely involved with physical care here is food for thought. The chapter on nursing has a nice approach to the philosophy of care. Improvement in quality of life is presented as a case study and it is good to share in the practical experiences of others. There are useful references to relevant research and a comprehensive bibliography at the end of each chapter. A useful addition for any library and a good reference book for
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criteria which the planning team had in mind have not yet been measured. These factors include development of the student's problem-solving skills, managerial and communication skills in addition to an awareness of the changing social structure. It appears that many changes have taken place in the student nurse curriculum over the years but evaluation tools have not always kept pace with these changes. Although there are great developments taking place in this field at the moment, there is still a long way to go in order to evaluate those parts of a curriculum which need tools other than essay and multiple choice questions. The questions we are left with are these: Are we meeting the needs of the student nurse in 1983? Indeed, have we (and they) decided what those needs are? What arc the constraints we need to take into account? What further research will help us to establish a firm curriculum-based education for student nurses? REFERENCES Bales R F 1951 Interaction process analysis. Addison-Wesley, Cambridge, Mass. General Nursing Council 1977 A statement of education policy. GNC Circular 77/2·1.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This article summarises the findings of a study undertaken at Nottingham School of Nursing as part of the Level III Health Studies Research course held at Sheffield Polytechnic 1982/83.
anyone involved in the care of the elderly. Elsie Collier SRN, ONC, RNT, DipN
GASTROENTEROLOGY-AN INTEGRATED COURSE (3rd ed) lain E Gillespie and T J Thomson (1983) Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, pp 330, paperback £6.95 GASTROE.'-'TEROLOGY IS, as the title suggests, a most appropriate subject for an integrated approach. Many decisions which are made as to the management of patients in hospital with gastrointestinal conditions rely on the expertise of a variety of medical practitioncrs-e-radiologists, pathologists, general practitioners, physicians and surgeons. It is a pity, therefore, that the authors do not extend their concept of integrated care to nurses. Admittedly the book is aimed at the clinically based medical student, but if the intention is to encourage a multidisciplinary approach to health care, then it would seem appropriate to include members of the nursing profession whose observations and reports are also crucial in clinical decision-making. However, in spite of this important reservation, I would recommend this
book for reference and review purposes to the clinically based nurse in the gastroenterology field. It is well organised and the text is clear and concise. Physiological aspects are adequately explained, assisted by the liberal use of clear and simple diagrams and by several radiological pictures. Every anatomical area of the gastrointestinal tract is covered. A brief outline of the relevant anatomy and physiology is given for each specific area under review, at a depth which would be entirely suitable for the practising clinical nurse in a general ward. Certain common topics command a section to themselves: for example, the acute abdomen, malabsorption syndrome, ulcerative colitis and intestinal infections. These conditions are frequently. given specific attention in the basic nursing curriculum. The final chapter is directed towards diagnosis in general practice and although brief, it has no' relevance to nursing. However, provided that the book is simply to be used as a companion guide to theoretical and clinical instruction based on a nursing model of care, I think it would be a welcome addition to the nursing library. Jean C Williams SRN, RNT, BEd(Hons) :0 Longman Group Ltd.
Book Reviews (Continued) CARE OF THE LONG-STAY ELDERLY PATIENT M J Denham (Ed) (1983) Croom Helm, London, pp 230, iIlus, hardback £14.95, paperback £8.95 TIllS nOOK has a readable style and provides a wide scope of background information on which to base care. Each chapter is by an expert in his/her own field, and, apart from the last chapter about American Institution, all of the contributors are British. There is great emphasis on the quality of life and some practical observations on achieving and measuring this. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the value of art and music, and for nurses whose time is largely involved with physical care here is food for thought. The chapter on nursing has a nice approach to the philosophy of care. Improvement in quality of life is presented as a case study and it is good to share in the practical experiences of others. There are useful references to relevant research and a comprehensive bibliography at the end of each chapter. A useful addition for any library and a good reference book for
142
criteria which the planning team had in mind have not yet been measured. These factors include development of the student's problem-solving skills, managerial and communication skills in addition to an awareness of the changing social structure. It appears that many changes have taken place in the student nurse curriculum over the years but evaluation tools have not always kept pace with these changes. Although there are great developments taking place in this field at the moment, there is still a long way to go in order to evaluate those parts of a curriculum which need tools other than essay and multiple choice questions. The questions we are left with are these: Are we meeting the needs of the student nurse in 1983? Indeed, have we (and they) decided what those needs are? What arc the constraints we need to take into account? What further research will help us to establish a firm curriculum-based education for student nurses? REFERENCES Bales R F 1951 Interaction process analysis. Addison-Wesley, Cambridge, Mass. General Nursing Council 1977 A statement of education policy. GNC Circular 77/2·1.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This article summarises the findings of a study undertaken at Nottingham School of Nursing as part of the Level III Health Studies Research course held at Sheffield Polytechnic 1982/83.
anyone involved in the care of the elderly. Elsie Collier SRN, ONC, RNT, DipN
GASTROENTEROLOGY-AN INTEGRATED COURSE (3rd ed) lain E Gillespie and T J Thomson (1983) Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, pp 330, paperback £6.95 GASTROE.'-'TEROLOGY IS, as the title suggests, a most appropriate subject for an integrated approach. Many decisions which are made as to the management of patients in hospital with gastrointestinal conditions rely on the expertise of a variety of medical practitioncrs-e-radiologists, pathologists, general practitioners, physicians and surgeons. It is a pity, therefore, that the authors do not extend their concept of integrated care to nurses. Admittedly the book is aimed at the clinically based medical student, but if the intention is to encourage a multidisciplinary approach to health care, then it would seem appropriate to include members of the nursing profession whose observations and reports are also crucial in clinical decision-making. However, in spite of this important reservation, I would recommend this
book for reference and review purposes to the clinically based nurse in the gastroenterology field. It is well organised and the text is clear and concise. Physiological aspects are adequately explained, assisted by the liberal use of clear and simple diagrams and by several radiological pictures. Every anatomical area of the gastrointestinal tract is covered. A brief outline of the relevant anatomy and physiology is given for each specific area under review, at a depth which would be entirely suitable for the practising clinical nurse in a general ward. Certain common topics command a section to themselves: for example, the acute abdomen, malabsorption syndrome, ulcerative colitis and intestinal infections. These conditions are frequently. given specific attention in the basic nursing curriculum. The final chapter is directed towards diagnosis in general practice and although brief, it has no' relevance to nursing. However, provided that the book is simply to be used as a companion guide to theoretical and clinical instruction based on a nursing model of care, I think it would be a welcome addition to the nursing library. Jean C Williams SRN, RNT, BEd(Hons) :0 Longman Group Ltd.