A O R N J O U R N A L SEPTEMBER 19x8. VOL. 48. NO 3

Book Reviews

ETHICS

The Professional Commitment: Issues and Ethics in Nursing By Carroll A . Quinn, Michael D. Smirh 1987, 196pp $16.70 paperback

The authors of this book, who are both professors of ethics, attempt to present professional and clinical ethics as subjects that are closely related and perhaps intertwined. Aimed primarily at nursing students, the book deals with styles of ethical decision making and the personal relationship that the professional must consider when faced with such decisions.

The authors do not intend to give pat answers to questions of professional ethics, but allow the nurse to come to his or her own conclusions based on the background knowledge provided. They deal with some of the most controversial ethical dilemmas of the past decade. Decline in nursing school enrollment, economic trends, attitudes toward nurses as professionals, and the choice of nursing roles in practice are some of the professional problems introduced in light of ethical decision making.

The text is set in chapters with thought- provoking questions at the end of each discussion. This format makes the material excellent for use during in-service programs. The questions could be reworded to be more applicable to the needs of the practicing nurse.

An additional chapter, authored by David Ozar, deals with the demands placed on the professional nurse, his or her commitment to both professional and personal life, and the problems the professional faces when nursing does not fulfill expectations.

The open-ended presentation should stimulate independent thinking on the part of nurses faced with ethical problems.

The book can be obtained from the W B Saunders Co, West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA 19 105.

CAROLINE K. GARRETT. R N

DEKALB GENERAL HOSPITAL DECATUR, GA

STAFF NURSE/OUTPATIENT SURGERY

MANAGEMENT

Interviewing Skills for Nurse Managers Edired by Thomas Lochhaas 1987, 84 pp $44.95 looseleaf

This book is a cooperative effort of the St Louis School of Nursing and the C V Mosby Co. I t is designed for beginning and mid-level managers to expand their knowledge of the interviewing process. It is approved for five continuing education contact hours for any nurse who registers with the form provided.

The home study course is divided into four units, each with learning objectives, concepts, exercises, and a test. The content is easy to read and well rounded. It includes information on questioning techniques, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines, the interviewing process, assessing behavioral skills, and rating candidates. Conveniently bound in a three-ring notebook, it provides leaflets for notes and exercises and a questionnaire and answer sheet.

This manual is the most current regarding EEOC standards and is an excellent

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comprehensive guide for nurse managers. I highly recommend this edition to nurses who are new to management.

The book can be obtained from the C V Mosby Co, 11830 Westline Industrial Dr, St Louis, MO 63 146.

ANNE LAWLESS. RN, CNOR HEAD NURSEINEUROSURGERY

JACKSONVILLE. FLA ST VINCENT'S MEDICAL CENTER

Effective Management in Nursing, second ed. B v Eleanor J. Sullivan. Phil@ J. Decker 1988, 628 pp $27.70 paperback

This book is a welcome addition to the nursing management literature for both experienced and new nurse managers. New sections and chapters in this second edition augment the practical and theoretical content the authors believed to be so popular in the first edition. The foci of the new edition are three major areas: information about health care organizations, application of the principles of management in health care settings, and management strategies and techniques the nurse manager can use on a daily basis.

The book is divided into five parts. The first part presents the basics of organizations in terms of the nature of organizational theory, the influence of third-party payers, and competition on organizations.

Part two contains new chapters on emerging issues in nursing management. Productivity, how to manage change, ethical issues, and how to manage chemically dependent staff members are presented in a concise manner.

Part three deals with essential communication skills. The authors describe ways to motivate staff and manage time effectively. They also include a discussion of problem solving and decision making.

The fourth part is concerned with human resource management skills. I t describes recruitment, employee performance and evalu?tion, the turnover/absenteeism problem, and the manager's role in collective bargaining and labor relations in health care.

The fifth part describes some basic survival skills of the nurse manager, including how to design budgets and allocate resources. It also contains an informative presentation of direct and indirect use of computers in nursing. The discussion of quality assurance in terms of risk management and how to deal with conflict, stress, and interaction with higher management is concise and well written.

The current and informative content of the book is presented in an easy-to-read format and style that makes it valuable as a text or reference for any nurse interested in nursing management.

The book can be obtained from Addison- Wesley Publishing Co, Nursing Division, 2725 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORIMEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING

UNIVERSJTY OF MARYLAND

MARCUS L. WALKER, RN, ScD

BALTIMORE

The Opportunity-Seeking Hospital By Jamer B. Wrbber, Joseph l? Peters 1987, 7 I p p $25.00 paprrback

The content of this short book will help all health care facilities and individuals become opportunity seekers and be prepared to act when opportunities arise.

The authors develop the book in a practical manner, explaining how to identify and act on opportunities. From the opening definition of opportunity through the information on what generates opportunities, where and how to find them in hospital situations, promoting climates that help in finding and using opportunities, and becoming an opportunity-seeking hospital, the book maintains reader interest. Readers will appreciate the clear style and interesting method of presentation, as well as the many tables, boxed quotations, and examples.

Managers in particular will find this a valuable book. Department managers, as experts in their fields, have the greatest opportunities, and top management has the responsibility to create and nurture an environment that promotes opportunity

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