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Mayes' midwifery—A textbook for midwives
311
BOOK REVIEWS
Clinical Pharmacology for Nurses (12th Edn). J. Trounce. Edinburgh (1988). Price f8.95. 298~~. ISBN O-443-3581-4.
Churchill
Livingstone,
The 12th edition of Clinical Pharmacology for Nurses incorporates helpful nursing points to assist nurses with care planning in relation to drug treatment. This has been facilitated by the addition of a nurse tutor to the editor’s advisory team. A new chapter on the role of the nurse in drug administration is also a feature of this new edition. The general updating of the previously published chapters is enhanced by a completely new format. This allows for a larger type face and diagrams which make for easier reading. The bright orange cover is in the uniform style of Churchill Livingstone’s nursing series. Updating also includes the addition of further reading lists with each chapter for those who wish to delve deeper into the subject. In its new bright edition, this book will, I am sure, continue to be popular with student nurses. JILL A. DAVID, R.G.N.,
H.V.,
B.Sc.,
M.Sc.
Director of Nursing Research, Royal Marsden Hospital.
Mayes’Midwifery-A Textbook for Midwives(1 lth Edn). Betty R. Sweet. Bailliere Tindall, Eastborne, East Sussex (1988). Price f16.95. ISBN 0-7020-1236-X. The 1lth edition of this well-known textbook has been completely re-written and expanded. The inclusion of sociological and psychological aspects as well as a chapter on communication skills are welcome improvements. While it is regretted that it has taken the midwifery profession until 1988 to produce a referenced textbook, Betty Sweet is to be congratulated for taking on this task single-handedly and so successfully. In contrast to the 10th edition, issues which have been questioned in recent years (such as the frequency of antenatal visits and maternal-infant attachment) are not presented in a dogmatic manner. The differing viewpoints are discussed and well referenced. My only quibble with the references is that some are unobtainable or in a foreign language. There is a detailed index and a glossary which will help those new to the subject. The addition of a chapter on research and the statistical appendix, although brief, serve as an excellent introduction. The text is nearly always clear and holds the reader’s interest, with such snippets as the origin of head shaking as a negative movement. There is the occasional part where the student could be confused, for instance in the description of sex-linked recessive diseases. The example given on p. 123 that “the woman would pass on the disease to half her sons” is not the same as stating with each pregnancy there is a one in two chance of transmitting the disease. Although there is brief mention of specific research describing the use of a nursing model, the author has not made any attempt to introduce a discussion of using models within midwifery. This may be right as there is no model which is being used widely, although many midwives are trying out different approaches to care. Student midwives who are
312
BOOK REVIEWS
nurses, however, will have been exposed to the nursing process and models in their previous training and may be surprised at this lack. This group will remain the majority of midwives in training, even after the introduction of Project 2000 and the new ‘direct entry’ midwifery training. I like the order of the contents, with the normal appearing before the complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth. The boxed headings to each page, combined with clear headings and sub-headings, makes finding specific material easy. The paper feels nice and the print is easy to read. This is a textbook to recommend to student midwives. DR TRICIA MURPHY-BLACK
Nursing Research Unit, University of Edinburgh.
The Work of WHO in the European Region. 1986 Annual Report of the Regional Director. WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen (1988). Price: SW. fr. 12. ISBN 92-8901050-9. The sheer volume of packed factual information in the Annual Report of the Regional Director makes the reading of it a daunting exercise. There are two major elements of the work. One is the overall WHO policy of Health for All, and the other is the way in which the European Region has built up its own 38 targets to meet the demand of the overall Health for All policy. In his foreword, Dr J. E. Asvall, Regional Director, explains how regional programme planning was re-oriented to come into line with the regional targets, and that the current report is the first to be written to follow the new structure. The 38 targets are grouped into five chapters “Health for all in Europe by the Year 2000” includes targets 1-12. “Life Styles Conducive to Health” deals with 13-17. “Healthy Environment” takes in 18-25. “Appropriate Care” is of particular interest to nurses, midwives and health visitors and covers targets 26-31 and finally “Research and Health Development” deals with targets 32-38. The first chapter of the Report explains the development, management and evaluation of the regional programmes. The last two chapters deal with global programmes on accident prevention, health care technology, and the elderly, and the evaluation of the 1984-1985 programme. Within chapter headings, the contents page breaks down each target into topics, so the reader can easily find his way to the pages containing areas of his own particular interest. It is not quite as simple as that, however, there is no one chapter listing nursing and midwifery programmes, and they are rightly built into the various programmes, although the main interest will be in targets 26-3 1. But target 7 on reducing infant mortality rates pays increased attention to midwifery, and target 8 on reducing rates of maternal morality discusses the choice of the individual pregnant woman in determining the care she receives. One our way to the chapter on “Appropriate Care”, the reader is sure to dip into many others, such as target 4 on reducing disease and disability, and the targets which focus on healthy living. The chapter on Environment includes a glossy insert on WHO and the Mediterranean Action Plan, of interest to all potential holiday travellers in the area.
BOOK REVIEWS
Clinical Pharmacology for Nurses (12th Edn). J. Trounce. Edinburgh (1988). Price f8.95. 298~~. ISBN O-443-3581-4.
Churchill
Livingstone,
The 12th edition of Clinical Pharmacology for Nurses incorporates helpful nursing points to assist nurses with care planning in relation to drug treatment. This has been facilitated by the addition of a nurse tutor to the editor’s advisory team. A new chapter on the role of the nurse in drug administration is also a feature of this new edition. The general updating of the previously published chapters is enhanced by a completely new format. This allows for a larger type face and diagrams which make for easier reading. The bright orange cover is in the uniform style of Churchill Livingstone’s nursing series. Updating also includes the addition of further reading lists with each chapter for those who wish to delve deeper into the subject. In its new bright edition, this book will, I am sure, continue to be popular with student nurses. JILL A. DAVID, R.G.N.,
H.V.,
B.Sc.,
M.Sc.
Director of Nursing Research, Royal Marsden Hospital.
Mayes’Midwifery-A Textbook for Midwives(1 lth Edn). Betty R. Sweet. Bailliere Tindall, Eastborne, East Sussex (1988). Price f16.95. ISBN 0-7020-1236-X. The 1lth edition of this well-known textbook has been completely re-written and expanded. The inclusion of sociological and psychological aspects as well as a chapter on communication skills are welcome improvements. While it is regretted that it has taken the midwifery profession until 1988 to produce a referenced textbook, Betty Sweet is to be congratulated for taking on this task single-handedly and so successfully. In contrast to the 10th edition, issues which have been questioned in recent years (such as the frequency of antenatal visits and maternal-infant attachment) are not presented in a dogmatic manner. The differing viewpoints are discussed and well referenced. My only quibble with the references is that some are unobtainable or in a foreign language. There is a detailed index and a glossary which will help those new to the subject. The addition of a chapter on research and the statistical appendix, although brief, serve as an excellent introduction. The text is nearly always clear and holds the reader’s interest, with such snippets as the origin of head shaking as a negative movement. There is the occasional part where the student could be confused, for instance in the description of sex-linked recessive diseases. The example given on p. 123 that “the woman would pass on the disease to half her sons” is not the same as stating with each pregnancy there is a one in two chance of transmitting the disease. Although there is brief mention of specific research describing the use of a nursing model, the author has not made any attempt to introduce a discussion of using models within midwifery. This may be right as there is no model which is being used widely, although many midwives are trying out different approaches to care. Student midwives who are
312
BOOK REVIEWS
nurses, however, will have been exposed to the nursing process and models in their previous training and may be surprised at this lack. This group will remain the majority of midwives in training, even after the introduction of Project 2000 and the new ‘direct entry’ midwifery training. I like the order of the contents, with the normal appearing before the complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth. The boxed headings to each page, combined with clear headings and sub-headings, makes finding specific material easy. The paper feels nice and the print is easy to read. This is a textbook to recommend to student midwives. DR TRICIA MURPHY-BLACK
Nursing Research Unit, University of Edinburgh.
The Work of WHO in the European Region. 1986 Annual Report of the Regional Director. WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen (1988). Price: SW. fr. 12. ISBN 92-8901050-9. The sheer volume of packed factual information in the Annual Report of the Regional Director makes the reading of it a daunting exercise. There are two major elements of the work. One is the overall WHO policy of Health for All, and the other is the way in which the European Region has built up its own 38 targets to meet the demand of the overall Health for All policy. In his foreword, Dr J. E. Asvall, Regional Director, explains how regional programme planning was re-oriented to come into line with the regional targets, and that the current report is the first to be written to follow the new structure. The 38 targets are grouped into five chapters “Health for all in Europe by the Year 2000” includes targets 1-12. “Life Styles Conducive to Health” deals with 13-17. “Healthy Environment” takes in 18-25. “Appropriate Care” is of particular interest to nurses, midwives and health visitors and covers targets 26-31 and finally “Research and Health Development” deals with targets 32-38. The first chapter of the Report explains the development, management and evaluation of the regional programmes. The last two chapters deal with global programmes on accident prevention, health care technology, and the elderly, and the evaluation of the 1984-1985 programme. Within chapter headings, the contents page breaks down each target into topics, so the reader can easily find his way to the pages containing areas of his own particular interest. It is not quite as simple as that, however, there is no one chapter listing nursing and midwifery programmes, and they are rightly built into the various programmes, although the main interest will be in targets 26-3 1. But target 7 on reducing infant mortality rates pays increased attention to midwifery, and target 8 on reducing rates of maternal morality discusses the choice of the individual pregnant woman in determining the care she receives. One our way to the chapter on “Appropriate Care”, the reader is sure to dip into many others, such as target 4 on reducing disease and disability, and the targets which focus on healthy living. The chapter on Environment includes a glossy insert on WHO and the Mediterranean Action Plan, of interest to all potential holiday travellers in the area.