- Email: [email protected]
Communication and Health in a Multiethnic Society
Book/media reviews
Book/media reviews Communication and Health in a Multiethnic Society Mark Robinson The Policy Press, Cambridge, 2002 ISBN: 186134 3418, 206 pages Price: £15.99
This book sets out to tackle and issue that has long been recognised in nursing and health care generally, as a barrier to provision of appropriate, effective health care. The issue of communication with people who do not use English as a first language. The presentation of an overview of the approaches adopted by researchers in ethnicity and health in the past helps to set the scene for the book as a whole. Discussion of the methodological issues relating to research in these areas is enhanced by the author’s reflection on these approaches in practice and the wider implications or personal costs in relation to quality of care for the individuals and their families from differing ethnic groups. The book begins to address some of the complex issues concerned with researching a multiethnic society by challenging research approaches and commonly held beliefs utilised in the past where there was a tendency to present communication problems as an exclusive concern when working with Black and minority ethnic communities. The author sensitively but succinctly place the issues within the political and social context of today where migration from former Baltic states and the impact of refugee status on individuals, communities, and health care workers are becoming more apparent. The author states clearly at the outset that the book does not attempt to deal with all the possible communication barriers arising for every minority language user, but instead attempts to provide the reader with real cases where research has been applied to the area of communication and ethnicity in order to assess, evaluate or change the health chances of a
388 Nurse Education Today (2003) 23, 388–392
specific group. As a result this book explores issues, which go beyond a review of what I have previously called a ‘menus’ approach to informing health care providers about working with Black and minority ethnic people (Serrant-Green 2001) and seeks to provide empirical evidence supported by review and discussion of the practice implications so that the reader can appraise for themselves the possible appropriateness of the study outcomes for their own areas of work. This book may be of interest to practitioners, researchers and others interested in the impact of society, politics and health care decisionmaking on the health and life chances of minority populations. The linking of research projects conducted within a wide range of health care settings is a particular strength of the book. The research projects themselves are particularly well presented and should serve to at least encourage practitioners to reconsider their established approaches to communication and the social and political bases of decision making within health care. The book is written in a clear and relatively jargon-free style. A comprehensive range of references is provided at the end of the book for those wishing to follow-up some of the more theoretical issues raised. References are detailed and up to date, reflecting the range of sources from the disciplines of health, social care, race, and ethnicity, which underpin the theoretical basis of this book. However, I feel that the inclusion of a shortened reference list at the end of each chapter may have enhanced the ease of reference for the reader as they progress through the book. The use of short research projects throughout the book was a very useful way of reinforcing the points relating to the realities of communication barriers and their impact on health. The final chapter is particularly well written and provides an overview of the main issues raised by the preceding projects. This chapter also attempts to move the debates forward by considering the failures of the past and suggesting ways to resolve these as challenges for the future.
Book/media reviews
Overall this is a well written book, which provides detailed consideration of medical, health and social care issues associated with communication with people for whom English is not their first language. The value of this book to readers lies beyond the boundaries of ‘how to talk to people’. The presentation and discussion of the impact of poor or ineffective communication within the political and social contexts of providing culturally appropriate care, means it will also be of great value to those interested in the wider issues of race, health, and social care and their impact on the practical management and provision of services for minority groups.
Reference Serrant-Green L 2001 Transcultural nursing education: A view from within. Nurse Education Today 21(8): 670–678
Laura Serrant-Green Lecturer, School of Nursing University of Nottingham Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
doi:10.1016/S0260-6917(02)00212-5
Evidence Informed Nursing Robert McSherry, Maxine Simmons, and Pamela Abbott (Editors) Routledge, London, 2002 ISBN: 0-415-20498-4 Price: £14.99
The first thing that attracts the eye to this book is the title ‘‘Evidence Informed Nursing’’. What is wrong using evidence-based just like every one else does? The authors throughout the book make it clear that they are trying to put an original slant on the use of evidence. McSherry et al. are not arguing for crude application of research evidence to practice. Rather they are suggesting that nurses should be critical users of evidence, applying it to individual circumstances. This standpoint alone makes this book worth a second look. Much of the early content of this book is exactly as you might expect, in that it is devoted to issues related to research, and its
critical appraisal. Issues around the use of integrated care plans are also discussed. Despite the obvious quality of these chapters it the second part of the book that really impresses. Other, less well-discussed sources of evidence are dealt with. In particular there is a chapter, written by Jane Haddock, that looks at reflective practice and decision-making. The book then finishes by looking at using evidence in practice and the importance of research dissemination and barriers to implementation. Included as the appendix is an example of a critique of a research paper. Perhaps it is just a little incestuous to critique one of the editors’ papers from the Journal of Advanced Nursing. Whilst the content of the book does impress that is not all there is to it. The layout and style make it extremely accessible without ever patronising the reader. Each chapter commences with an outline of the chapter. The end of each chapter has a summary of the key points and a few examples of recommended reading separate from the extensive reference list. There are without doubt more extensive books covering similar topics to this volume. However, McSherry et al. have managed to put together a book that provides an interesting slant on an important topic whilst clearly covering the basic ideas. If you want an introduction to the topic or a handy reference book this could well be something you should consider investing in. Patric Devitt Senior Lecturer, University of Salford Greater Manchester, UK
doi:10.1016/S0260-6917(02)00211-3
Let’s talk about sex Barbara Borwell Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, 2002, Board game & instruction booklet, Price: £98.00
Over the past decade there has been a plethora of sexual health ‘educative’ material
Nurse Education Today (2003) 23, 388–392 389
Book/media reviews Communication and Health in a Multiethnic Society Mark Robinson The Policy Press, Cambridge, 2002 ISBN: 186134 3418, 206 pages Price: £15.99
This book sets out to tackle and issue that has long been recognised in nursing and health care generally, as a barrier to provision of appropriate, effective health care. The issue of communication with people who do not use English as a first language. The presentation of an overview of the approaches adopted by researchers in ethnicity and health in the past helps to set the scene for the book as a whole. Discussion of the methodological issues relating to research in these areas is enhanced by the author’s reflection on these approaches in practice and the wider implications or personal costs in relation to quality of care for the individuals and their families from differing ethnic groups. The book begins to address some of the complex issues concerned with researching a multiethnic society by challenging research approaches and commonly held beliefs utilised in the past where there was a tendency to present communication problems as an exclusive concern when working with Black and minority ethnic communities. The author sensitively but succinctly place the issues within the political and social context of today where migration from former Baltic states and the impact of refugee status on individuals, communities, and health care workers are becoming more apparent. The author states clearly at the outset that the book does not attempt to deal with all the possible communication barriers arising for every minority language user, but instead attempts to provide the reader with real cases where research has been applied to the area of communication and ethnicity in order to assess, evaluate or change the health chances of a
388 Nurse Education Today (2003) 23, 388–392
specific group. As a result this book explores issues, which go beyond a review of what I have previously called a ‘menus’ approach to informing health care providers about working with Black and minority ethnic people (Serrant-Green 2001) and seeks to provide empirical evidence supported by review and discussion of the practice implications so that the reader can appraise for themselves the possible appropriateness of the study outcomes for their own areas of work. This book may be of interest to practitioners, researchers and others interested in the impact of society, politics and health care decisionmaking on the health and life chances of minority populations. The linking of research projects conducted within a wide range of health care settings is a particular strength of the book. The research projects themselves are particularly well presented and should serve to at least encourage practitioners to reconsider their established approaches to communication and the social and political bases of decision making within health care. The book is written in a clear and relatively jargon-free style. A comprehensive range of references is provided at the end of the book for those wishing to follow-up some of the more theoretical issues raised. References are detailed and up to date, reflecting the range of sources from the disciplines of health, social care, race, and ethnicity, which underpin the theoretical basis of this book. However, I feel that the inclusion of a shortened reference list at the end of each chapter may have enhanced the ease of reference for the reader as they progress through the book. The use of short research projects throughout the book was a very useful way of reinforcing the points relating to the realities of communication barriers and their impact on health. The final chapter is particularly well written and provides an overview of the main issues raised by the preceding projects. This chapter also attempts to move the debates forward by considering the failures of the past and suggesting ways to resolve these as challenges for the future.
Book/media reviews
Overall this is a well written book, which provides detailed consideration of medical, health and social care issues associated with communication with people for whom English is not their first language. The value of this book to readers lies beyond the boundaries of ‘how to talk to people’. The presentation and discussion of the impact of poor or ineffective communication within the political and social contexts of providing culturally appropriate care, means it will also be of great value to those interested in the wider issues of race, health, and social care and their impact on the practical management and provision of services for minority groups.
Reference Serrant-Green L 2001 Transcultural nursing education: A view from within. Nurse Education Today 21(8): 670–678
Laura Serrant-Green Lecturer, School of Nursing University of Nottingham Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
doi:10.1016/S0260-6917(02)00212-5
Evidence Informed Nursing Robert McSherry, Maxine Simmons, and Pamela Abbott (Editors) Routledge, London, 2002 ISBN: 0-415-20498-4 Price: £14.99
The first thing that attracts the eye to this book is the title ‘‘Evidence Informed Nursing’’. What is wrong using evidence-based just like every one else does? The authors throughout the book make it clear that they are trying to put an original slant on the use of evidence. McSherry et al. are not arguing for crude application of research evidence to practice. Rather they are suggesting that nurses should be critical users of evidence, applying it to individual circumstances. This standpoint alone makes this book worth a second look. Much of the early content of this book is exactly as you might expect, in that it is devoted to issues related to research, and its
critical appraisal. Issues around the use of integrated care plans are also discussed. Despite the obvious quality of these chapters it the second part of the book that really impresses. Other, less well-discussed sources of evidence are dealt with. In particular there is a chapter, written by Jane Haddock, that looks at reflective practice and decision-making. The book then finishes by looking at using evidence in practice and the importance of research dissemination and barriers to implementation. Included as the appendix is an example of a critique of a research paper. Perhaps it is just a little incestuous to critique one of the editors’ papers from the Journal of Advanced Nursing. Whilst the content of the book does impress that is not all there is to it. The layout and style make it extremely accessible without ever patronising the reader. Each chapter commences with an outline of the chapter. The end of each chapter has a summary of the key points and a few examples of recommended reading separate from the extensive reference list. There are without doubt more extensive books covering similar topics to this volume. However, McSherry et al. have managed to put together a book that provides an interesting slant on an important topic whilst clearly covering the basic ideas. If you want an introduction to the topic or a handy reference book this could well be something you should consider investing in. Patric Devitt Senior Lecturer, University of Salford Greater Manchester, UK
doi:10.1016/S0260-6917(02)00211-3
Let’s talk about sex Barbara Borwell Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, 2002, Board game & instruction booklet, Price: £98.00
Over the past decade there has been a plethora of sexual health ‘educative’ material
Nurse Education Today (2003) 23, 388–392 389