Reviews of Books, Videos,

CDs, Audiotapes, Web Sites, and More,

Written by Emergency Nurses

M E D I A R E V I E W S

Media Reviewers: Phyllis Berg, RN, Paula Hafeman, RN,MSN, and Karen D. Taylor, RN, Salem, Mass, Green Bay,Wis, and Portland, Maine

Phyllis Berg is ENA Beacon Chapter Secretary, Massachusetts StateENA Secretary, and ED staff nurse at NSMC Salem Hospital, Salem,Mass; E-mail: plbergs@comcast.net.

Paula Hafeman, Northeast Wisconsin Chapter, is Directorof Cancer and Emergency Centers, St Vincent Hospital, Green Bay,Wis; E-mail: phafeman@stvgb.org.

Karen D. Taylor is Nurse Manager, Emergency Department, MaineMedical Center, Portland, Maine; E-mail: TAYLOKD@mmc.org.

J Emerg Nurs 2004;30:171-3.

0099-1767/$30.00

Copyright n 2004 by the Emergency Nurses Association.

April 2004 30:2

MI Rule: A 12 Lead EKG Infarction Template

Lafayete (LA): Apex Innovations LLC, 2003, $29.95 (plus $4.95 shipping).

While visiting the various exhibits at the Emergency Nurses

Convention in Philadelphia this past year, I stopped at a

booth advertising a rapid 12-lead EKG infarction location

tool. The ‘‘MI Rule: A 12 Lead EKG Infarction Template’’

immediately caught my attention. I was amazed. All I had

to do was slip an EKG under the clear cover, and this tool

helped me determine the infarction location. Match that

up with a color-coded picture of the heart, and you get a

visual. The tool has a chart featuring the chest pain risk

stratification, guidelines for cardiac markers, and treatment

strategy considerations.

I immediately thought the template would be a great

resource for my emergency department. Sold, I brought it

to work, carried it with me on a clipboard, and showed it

to all my co-workers, using it in between demonstrations. I

slid the 12-lead EKG under the template and was able to

visualize which leads were for which area of the heart, that

is, lateral, inferior, septal, and anterior. The chart located

on the back of the template teaches reciprocal changes and

culprit arteries; then the user identifies the risk and

manages the problem. The template also has an area to

remind the user which of the cardiac markers troponin,

myoglobin, and CKMB-CK would be elevated, indicating

how many hours the patient has been infarcting and where

these markers are found within the body.

The tool was impressive, and the staff’s response was

tremendous. I was asked to start a list of who wanted a

template and to order more of them. I myself never got a

chance to use the template on someone who was actually

infarcting. My only criticism might be that the tool is

JOURNAL OF EMERGENCY NURSING 171

MEDIA REVIEWS /Berg , Hafeman, and Tay lo r

difficult to carry around and when someone is having an

infarct, the last thing you would think of is running to get

it. Therefore, it might be something to keep on the cart

somehow. It is a good tool to use to learn where the infarct

is located when time permits.

A funny thing happened while I was passing the

template around for viewing—it disappeared, and I still

have not found it. I believe that was the ultimate compli-

ment! I enthusiastically agreed to review the tool for this

Journal, and I am glad to let other ED nurses know about

the tool and the overwhelming response it has gotten in

our emergency department. I work at a teaching hospital,

and all the students who were there the day I brought it in

were totally impressed!

‘‘MI Rule: A 12 Lead EKG Infarction Template’’ can

be ordered from Apex Innovations LLC, 201 Rue Du

Maurier, Lafayette, LA 70503; phone 337/216-4599; Web

site: www.mirule.com.

—Phyllis Bergdoi: 10.1016/j.jen.2003.12.014

101 Manager Tips

Cohen S. Hohenwald (TN): Health Resources Unlimited,

101 pp, $28.95.

101 Manager Tips may not be 101 Dalmatians, but it is

just as fun and exciting as any Disney adventure. Shelley

Cohen has written helpful hints on how to manage in

today’s world. In this small 5 � 6 pocket-size spiral-bound

book, she has compiled more than 25 years of leadership

experience into a thought-provoking and idea-generating

daily reminder. Each page focuses on a new tip, some

taking on serious matters and others offering humor to

cope with the day-to-day problems we face.

As you would expect from the title, the audience for

this book is managers and leaders, with special examples

for managing patient care areas. The book is a quick read

and easy to understand. One of the most useful aspects of

the book is not only being able to relate easily to the

situations, but having examples of what you might say in

certain difficult situations and what you might expect from

the employees you supervise. The book is appropriate for

seasoned as well as new managers. The seasoned manager

will feel great knowing someone else has been in this

172

situation and can find humor and support from the advice

given. New managers will have a sneak preview of what

may happen and a ‘‘heads up’’ on how to handle the

situation, almost as if they have had years of management

experience. Another strength of the book is the occasional

quote from a famous person or leader that summarizes the

manager tip well. For example: ‘‘Show me a person who

has never made a mistake and I’ll show you somebody who

has never achieved much’’ (Joan Collins!).

One weakness of the book is the lack of an easily

recognizable title or topic for each page and the lack of a

table of contents to allow the reader to easily go back to

something. For example, there was a tip on staff retention

and recruitment that I wanted to find again, but I could

not locate it without reading through the entire book.

In summary, if you are in a management/leadership

position and enjoy a daily thought of the day, 101

Manager Tips by Shelley Cohen will be a great book to

add to your collection.

—Paula Hafemandoi: 10.1016/j.jen.2003.12.015

Mosby’s CEN Examination Review, 3rd ed.

Holleran RS. St. Louis: Mosby, 2001, 282 pp, $44.95, ISBN 0-323-01234-5.

Are you ready to take the CEN examination? Is this your

first time to take it, or your fifth? Either way, this book

will help you prepare and assess your expertise in the

specialty of emergency nursing. It is based on the Emer-

gency Nursing Core Curriculum and the Flight Nursing Core

Curriculum and was written by practicing emergency and

flight/transport nurses from diverse settings. The book

reflects current trends and technological advances in all

areas of practice.

Mosby’s CEN Examination Review is organized into 2

sections: Part I, Emergency Nursing and Part II, Transport

Nursing. More than 1300 review questions are provided,

and each chapter contains a review outline, a brief dis-

cussion section, questions and answers, and references.

Each answer indicates which part of the nursing process

it is reflective of. In addition, a computer disk is included

to practice taking the examination. In Part I, all major

organ systems are covered, along with chapters on pain

management, disaster preparedness, legal and ethical

JOURNAL OF EMERGENCY NURSING 30:2 April 2004