250 NURSE EDUCATION TODAY

Resphxtoq System - In Anatomy Series Applied Science Review Springhouse 1993 illus ISBN: 0-87434638X g15.00 (Cards) Mechanics of Ventilation - In Physiology Series Applied Science Review Springhouse 1993 illus ISBN: O-8743-46258 215.00 (Cards)

The cards in this series are a useful aid to revision for students being set out in a clear and colourful format with a single card per topic.

The cards themselves are glossy plastic and appear of very high quality. The information on each card is well laid out and covers most of the points students (at dis ploma level) would require. However their value for those requiring a more detailed knowledge is more questionable.

The nature of the cards would make them an ideal resource for a library both for loan and especially as a reference text. The cost of the cards probably makes them an unrealistic proposition for student purchase.

JOHN HOWARD BSc(Hons) RGN RSCN RNT

CHRIS SCONCE BSc(Hons) RGN HVRNl

Practice Nursing - Stability and Change

Margaret Damant, Constance Martin & Shelia Openshaw Mosby 1993 128pp illus ISBN: 0-72341882-g (pb) &9.95

The role of the nurse within the GPs’ surgery has devel- oped significantly over the last few years. Many ‘practice nurses’ are searching for their professional identity which is seen to be different from the district nurse, health visitor or community psychiatric nurse. This informative book will help to provide them with their identity.

Written by experienced and nationally respected community nurses the book documents the roots, func- tion, developments and opportunities for practice nurs- es. The writers combine academic style and user friend- liness to produce an interesting, easy to read, well referenced text. There are some useful diagrams and charts and the ‘genealogy of community nursing’ found in Appendix 1 is excellent.

This should be essential reading for all practice nurses, GPs and community staff It would be an invaluable resource for practice nurse students and their tutors.

JOHN FOWLER BARGNRMNDipNRCNTCmtEdRNT

Sexuality and Patient Care Els van Ooijen & Andres Charnock Chapman & Hall 1993 244pp ISBN:O41247080-2 (pb) g13.99

Historically nurses have found sexual issues a potential

minefield when endeavouring to meet the holistic health care needs of patients and clients. In part, our lack of understanding about sex stems from our own lack of knowledge, and deep rooted, cultural insecuri- ties about sharing our attitudes, values and beliefs about sexual matters. This situation has been perpetuated in nursing by the failure of lecturers to address issues of sexuality competently when discussing models of health care.

This much needed British book, with international appeal, seeks to address the aforementioned issues through an immensely readable, interactive style that challenges and informs. Each chapter begins with learn- ing objectives which are met through a pattern of informed analysis and a variety of scenarios, activities and case studies which are designed to encourage dis- cussion and debate. Practical advice from the authors follows all activities. The book successfully explodes sex- ual myths and helps the reader to expand their own per- sonal model of sexual health. The final chapter on the teaching of sexuality, offers a framework that could form the basis of a curriculum model for sexuality.

This book is highly recommended for nursing stu- dents at diploma and first degree level and for lecturers wishing to teach on sexual health issues.

CHARLOTTE RAMAGE BEd(Hons) DipN PDN RNT RGN

Health Promotion - Concepts and Practice Alison Dines & Alan Cribb, Eds Blackwell Scientific 1993 224pp illus ISBN: O-632-03543-9 (pb) 510.99

This is a useful text on health promotion, written by nurses, for nurses. The first section is an exploration of general issues around health promotion, including a thorough treatment of the difficult problem of defini- tions; it also provides excellent case studies on ethical problems, a well focused discussion of power in relation to nurses, and a thought-provoking attack on ‘health- ism’ - the sin of thinking that health is the most impor- tant thing in the world, and that everyone else should share your view of the matter. Most of the rest of the book is taken up with case studies of health promotion in different nursing settings. These are more uneven, depending partly on the extent to which rigorous work on health promotion has already been undertaken in the context and also on the authors’ willingness to focus sharply on what the nursing contribution could be. There are excellent chapters on working with people who want to stop smoking, effective drug taking by elderly people in the community, homeless families and

cancer care. I would have liked to see a composite bibli- ography, not just a list of references at the end of each

chapter, but this is a minor point. ELIZABETH R PERKINS

MAPhDCertEd