- Email: [email protected]
Power and Conflict in Continuing Professional Education
AUOUST 1984, VOL 40,NO 2
AORN JOURNAL
laser physics, and the characteristics of the most commonly used lasers. This information provides the background needed to prepare the patient and his family for the perioperative experience. Intraoperative nursing care is heavily emphasized and includes admission of the patient, instruments, mom preparation, patient positioning, prepping, draping, monitoring, and documentation. New responsibilities for OR administration accompany laser use. These include federal regulations for laser manufacturers, ANSI standards, and a laser hazard guide. It also discusses the need for credentialing, laser location planning, storage, scheduling, care and maintenance, and inservice education. The last section discusses the steps an administrator should take when purchasing a laser. Steps included are assessment of hospital needs and analysis of hospital environment, what is already available at competing hospitals, available funds, and impact of DRGs. I would definitely use this as a laser handbook and recommend it to anyone interested in a starter book on lasers. The authors have compiled a source on laser technology today. MARYANNPAPWELLS, RN, MS, CNOR ”
HEAD NURSE,PEIUOPERATTVE NURSING HOSPITAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF l”NSYLVANIA PHILADELPHIA
Power and Conflict in Continuing Professional Education. Milton R Stem, ed. Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont, Calif, l983,264pp, $28.
The two questions addressed in this book are how is continuing education for professionals currently managed, and what is in the future? Experts from accounting, banking, engineering, medicine, and real estate discuss their professions and continuing education. Professional competency definition and measurement are addressed by the guest authors. Suggestions for measurement include multiple choice tests, practical exams, and simulations. The authors agree that detemination of compe-
tency has to be at the center of any discussion of continuing professional education. Each chapter ends with a bibliography. Many of the references are from the 1960sand the early 1970s;are there no current studies on continuing education? The professionals and the providers do agree that the 1980s should be a growth period for continuing professional education. They do not agree on how it will be accomplished. It i s a ragged growth, currently, which all the authors feel will become more organized as the push for continuing education endures from professionals, and state and federal governments. The book’s cost echoes one of the problems in continuing professional education. When planning to attend an offering, a large sum of money is spent and the attendee then finds the infomation is already dated. This book does offer an interesting insight into other professions, but gives nurses little useful data. ELLEN GORE,RN OR EDUCATION COORDINATOR ST VINCENT HOSPITAL
BILLINGS,Mom Developing the New Assertive Nurse: Essentials forAdvuncement. Geny Angel, Diane Knox Petronko. Springer Publishing Co, uw) Park Ave s, New York, NY 10003, 1983. 244 pp. $15.95 paperback.
In Developing the New Assertive Nurse, the authors define assertiveness as “open, honest, direct communication.” They suggest this attribute is a necessary tool for the professional nurse, but do not suggest that assertiveness is for everyone. Before embarking on a change toward such behavior, they believe that each individual should examine the changes hisher new behavior may elicit. The risks and goals of assertiveness are discussed, as well as a “Bill of Assertive Rights.” The authors emphasize that, “by standing up for your own rights as a nurse, you are also indirectly enhancing the rights of all nurses. ” The writers, using their past experience with group assertivenesstraining, have included many illus-
AORN JOURNAL
laser physics, and the characteristics of the most commonly used lasers. This information provides the background needed to prepare the patient and his family for the perioperative experience. Intraoperative nursing care is heavily emphasized and includes admission of the patient, instruments, mom preparation, patient positioning, prepping, draping, monitoring, and documentation. New responsibilities for OR administration accompany laser use. These include federal regulations for laser manufacturers, ANSI standards, and a laser hazard guide. It also discusses the need for credentialing, laser location planning, storage, scheduling, care and maintenance, and inservice education. The last section discusses the steps an administrator should take when purchasing a laser. Steps included are assessment of hospital needs and analysis of hospital environment, what is already available at competing hospitals, available funds, and impact of DRGs. I would definitely use this as a laser handbook and recommend it to anyone interested in a starter book on lasers. The authors have compiled a source on laser technology today. MARYANNPAPWELLS, RN, MS, CNOR ”
HEAD NURSE,PEIUOPERATTVE NURSING HOSPITAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF l”NSYLVANIA PHILADELPHIA
Power and Conflict in Continuing Professional Education. Milton R Stem, ed. Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont, Calif, l983,264pp, $28.
The two questions addressed in this book are how is continuing education for professionals currently managed, and what is in the future? Experts from accounting, banking, engineering, medicine, and real estate discuss their professions and continuing education. Professional competency definition and measurement are addressed by the guest authors. Suggestions for measurement include multiple choice tests, practical exams, and simulations. The authors agree that detemination of compe-
tency has to be at the center of any discussion of continuing professional education. Each chapter ends with a bibliography. Many of the references are from the 1960sand the early 1970s;are there no current studies on continuing education? The professionals and the providers do agree that the 1980s should be a growth period for continuing professional education. They do not agree on how it will be accomplished. It i s a ragged growth, currently, which all the authors feel will become more organized as the push for continuing education endures from professionals, and state and federal governments. The book’s cost echoes one of the problems in continuing professional education. When planning to attend an offering, a large sum of money is spent and the attendee then finds the infomation is already dated. This book does offer an interesting insight into other professions, but gives nurses little useful data. ELLEN GORE,RN OR EDUCATION COORDINATOR ST VINCENT HOSPITAL
BILLINGS,Mom Developing the New Assertive Nurse: Essentials forAdvuncement. Geny Angel, Diane Knox Petronko. Springer Publishing Co, uw) Park Ave s, New York, NY 10003, 1983. 244 pp. $15.95 paperback.
In Developing the New Assertive Nurse, the authors define assertiveness as “open, honest, direct communication.” They suggest this attribute is a necessary tool for the professional nurse, but do not suggest that assertiveness is for everyone. Before embarking on a change toward such behavior, they believe that each individual should examine the changes hisher new behavior may elicit. The risks and goals of assertiveness are discussed, as well as a “Bill of Assertive Rights.” The authors emphasize that, “by standing up for your own rights as a nurse, you are also indirectly enhancing the rights of all nurses. ” The writers, using their past experience with group assertivenesstraining, have included many illus-