Continued f r o m page 147 FUNDAMENTALS OF RESEARCH IN NURSING, by David J . Fox, 285 pages, Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York , 1966. Price $7.95. With the ever-increasing interest and growth of research in the nursing profession, a re- ference work of this type is always a wel- come addition to the nursing literature. Those nurses who are unfamiliar with the research process will find this book useful both as a source of information necessary to the understanding of written research re. ports, and as a guide to the writing of such reports. The very language of the research process can be extremely confusing and 01)- tuse to the nurse reader. A careful, step-by. step explanation of the structure of a re- search problem in nursing clarifies this phase of the process with easily understood examples.

Every nurse, whether she knows it or not, makes active use of research. How can she judge from the results of reports that she reads or hears whether or not their findings are valid in the light of population sampling, statistical methods, application of data anal- ysis principles, and conclusions drawn from the analysis? A poorly designed research project is worse than none, for it yields invalid information which can be grossly misapplied to the detriment of nursing care In these days of rising hospital costs, even this type of waste is criminal.

Chapter 12, “Critically Evaluating the Re- search Report,” should, perhaps, have been Chapter 1, for it summarizes and clarifies much of what has gone before. Except for this misplacement, the book is well-orga- nized with informative chapters devoted to

such topics as “Sampling,” “Research Ap- proaches,” and “Data-Gathering Methods and Techniques.” The chapters on various types of statistics are of special interest.

Though this volume may appeal to a lim- ited audience, there are marly OR nurses who

will find the information it contains both interesting and useful. This is a wide-open field, since OR nurses have not, up to the present, been heavy contributors to research. Perhaps, a wider interest will be stimulated with the establishment of research projects by the membership when it is more widely recognized that books such as Fundamentals of Research in Nursing are available.

LORA CRAIG, R.N. Winter Park, Florida

THE NURSE AND THE LAW, by Harvey Sarner, B.S., LL.B., 219 pages, W . B. Saun- ders Company, Philadelphia, London & To- ronlo, 1958. Price $6.50. Practical, complete and authoritative, this timely new book offers sound advice on many aspects of the law and its application to the nursing profession.

It is felt by some that if a nurse exhibits any interest in matters of law, business, economics, insurance, finance, taxes, and so forth, she dishonors her professional com- mitment. The author strongly denies this. He feels that the nurse, as an individual, has a responsibility to handle her business and financial affairs adequately, so that they do not become her major concern. By so do- ing, she is able to maintain nursing as her primary interest.

The Nurse and the Law is composed of twenty-two chapters and three appendices uhich delineate the role of the nurse in legal matters. The book also includes valu- able information on federal income tax, in- suiance and retirement programs.

Because it is concise and up-to-date, I would recommend this book as a legal guide for all practicing nurses and for those who are planning to return to active nursing. The Nurse and the Law can be utilized as a ready reference book and will prove a valu- able addition to ward libraries.

FRANCES E. REESER, R.N. Bronx, New York

148 AORN Journal