MEDIA REVIEWS

Intensive Care Nursing by Phillip

Woodrow. Taylor and Francis Books Ltd

(Routledge), Hampshire, UK, 2000, 576

pages, £30á00, ISBN 0 415 18456 8.

This comprehensive, clear and clinically

focused text is aimed at nurses 6±12

months into their intensive care careers.

Furthermore, the author suggests that

readers should be quali®ed nurses with

experience of caring for ventilated

patients. I believe this text should have a

much wider readership. In addition to

becoming a standard text for students

undertaking any critical care course and

as a reference book on the shelves of

critical care units, it will be of value to

many nurses caring for critically ill or

highly dependent patients outside the

intensive care unit. The text is divided

into four logically structured parts. In part

1 (Fundamental Aspects), there is an

exploration of fundamental patient-

focused issues. Part 2 (Monitoring), con-

centrates on the technical knowledge

necessary to care for patients. Part 3 (Patho-

physiology and Treatment), examines

some of the common reasons for admission

to intensive care and describes treatments

that might be implemented. In the ®nal

part (Developing Practice), the author

considers how nurses might use their

knowledge and skills to develop nursing

practice. Throughout the book, Jane Roe's

excellent clinical scenarios enable the

reader to relate new learning to practice.

Importantly, the author did not scribe a

text intended to be a de®nitive book on

intensive care nursing. Philip Woodrow

clearly states that this book will only

achieve its main objective if it encourages

debate among nurses. This book should

certainly stimulate debate and I would

advise all libraries and intensive care units

to acquire a copy of this book.

Mr Leslie Gelling

BSc RGN

Research Nurse

University of Cambridge

Cambridge

England

Primary Care Management Ð Cases and

Discussions by Gaoutham Rao. Sage Publi-

cations, London, 1999, 432 pages, £34á00

(hardback), ISBN 0 761 91204 5, £17á99,

ISBN: 0 761 91205 3.

Primary Care Management: Cases and

Discussions does exactly what it says on

the cover! Fifteen of the more commonly

presented conditions by patients in a

primary care setting are discussed as case

studies based on an active learning

model. Each case study follows a set

format: goal of the exercise; learning

objectives to be met; patient history;

history of presenting problem; differential

questions for diagnosis; evidence-based

discussion of the diagnostic process;

action, consequences and constraints;

related reading material and assessment

tools as appropriate.

Although, the discussion and evi-

dence-based material is related to family

medicine in the United States of America

(USA), I found some of the similarities

fascinating. The evidence-based discus-

sion of each case is stimulating, well

written with clear decision trails to

follow with each example. Written for

family physicians, anyone working in

primary care health settings, particularly

nurse practitioners or public health

nurses, would ®nd it of value. For anyone

outside of the USA the processes and

evidence base would be easily adapted,

with a little effort, to suit the local health

care setting and context. Rao's style of

writing is good and the social history

narrative is captivating. I think it is

probably this aspect that brings a univer-

sality to the book rather than the medical

processes.

Heather Livesey

MSc BSc RGN RHV RNT

Senior Lecturer Practitioner

Faculty of Health

University of Central Lancashire & Guild

Community Healthcare NHS Trust

Preston

England

Introduction to Urological Nursing

edited by Philip Downey. Whurr

Publishers, London and Philadelphia,

2000, 220 pages, £14á95, ISBN 1 861

56150 4.

This textbook is aimed at practising

nurses, both those about to qualify, and

those currently specializing in urology. It

contains 12 chapters and is logically

presented, beginning with an outline of

relevant anatomy and physiology and

moving on to more specialist areas and

aspects of care. As such it would

undoubtedly serve as a useful refresher

for any one about to embark upon a career

or placement in this speciality. The book

is written in an easy to read style and has

a practical focus rather reminiscent of

many early nursing texts. Each chapter

describes the nursing care and psychologi-

cal needs of the patient in a clear and

methodical manner. Further explanation

of the principles underpinning the care

described and their rationale would have

been helpful, although, in fairness, this

book does claim to be introductory in

nature.

The book contains a useful glossary

and helpful tables and bulleted sections.

Most of the diagrams are clear, although

some of the more complex ®gures

may have bene®ted from colour presen-

tation. Overall this edited book, written

by 10 nurses, provides a useful introduc-

tion to the speciality and in the

reviewers opinion would provide a

helpful starting point for those new to

the ®eld of urology or those with a

general interest who work outside this

speciality.

Tracey Heath

RGN BSc MSc

Lecturer in Nursing

School of Nursing

University of Hull

Hull

England

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2000, 32(4), 1034±1037

1034 Ó 2000 Blackwell Science Ltd