JULY 2001, VOL 74, NO 1

Humor probably is the least used method of teaching in today’s nurs- ing classrooms, despite its populari- ty in college classrooms. This chap- ter leaves the reader wanting more and should be expanded in future editions. The chapter on expressive techniques discusses a more holistic approach to students and education.

This book gives a general overview of educational tech- niques for teaching nurses and allied health care providers. Only one chapter is dedicated to patient teaching, and it addresses low literacy skills. This text is best suited for novice educators as an introduction to topics. Its broad overview is not compre- hensive or inclusive in nature; it does not provide the detail neces- sary to implement strategies. Earlier editions have been used by undergraduate and graduate level nursing programs. This third edition, with its contempo- rary design and cutting edge teaching strategies, will certainly take its own place in today’s nursing education cumculum.

This book is available from Aspen Publishers, Inc, 200 Orchard Ridge Dr, Suite 200, Gaithersburg, MD 20878; http://www.aspenpub.com.

DONNA LAGUEUX RN, MSN, CNOR

EDUCATION CONSULTANT, SURQlCAL SERVICES WAILBUN HOSPITAL

WATERBURY, CONN

COMPETENCIES FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE OPERATING ROOM, second ed By Billie Fernsebner 2000,348 p p $55 paperback

he second edition of this book reflects changes in the health T care environment that affect

the OR. Since the first edition was published, new competencies have not been added, but the wording for some competencies has been changed to reflect more up-to-date terminology. New material has been added to the key concepts portion of the com- petencies, as well as the learning options section. References have been updated, and articles from OR Manager have been replaced with more current ones.

Today’s OR managers face more challenges than ever before. The perioperative environment is becoming more complex, and its leaders need to possess some business savvy and be clinically astute. Skills in human resources and public relations, knowledge of budgets and finance, and informa- tion about legal and ethical issues add to a broad base that leaders today can call upon to manage more efficiently. A working knowledge of equipment and trou- bleshooting capabilities also is a major requirement in this arena. This book provides a concrete assessment tool in all of these areas and the criteria necessary to display competent management skills.

The manual focuses on five main competencies that every manager should possess. The index is divided into five sec- tions-managerial, financial, interpersonal, clinical, and techno- logical. Within these sections, 17 detailed competencies can be found.

The first section, managerial competency, provides seven com- petencies that address perform- ance improvement, use of infor- mation management services, governance, legal and ethical issues, and project management. A wide selection of related

articles addresses systems think- ing in surgery management, obtaining meaningful results from quality improvement moni- toring efforts, the effectiveness of computer systems in the OR, self-management in the postanes- thesia care unit, the need for do- not-resuscitate orders in the OR, and how to write a business plan.

The chapters flow smoothly from one competency to the next, and each section includes graphs or key concepts. The index is very explicit, and all material related to a competency is found within that section. The pages are laid out well and contain eye-catching boxes with pertinent information. Each section contains a worksheet that can be copied for use as a work tool or can become part of an annual evaluation.

Many of the nurses in leader- ship roles today were mentored by a previous manager or moved into the position through hard work and motivation. Before the publi- cation of this book, there was no concrete methodology for assess- ing competency skills and no documented criteria from which to plan a course of study.

plary resource for nurses currently in management roles and is equal- ly useful for new managers and their preceptors. The author is well published in the periopera- tive field, and her accomplish- ments underscore the timeliness and thought-provoking qualities of this manual.

This book is available from OR Manager, Inc, PO Box 5303, Santa Fe, NM 87502-5303.

Overall, this book is an exem-

DEBRA MILLER RN, CNOR

GALESBURQ COHAQE HOSPITAL QALESSURO, lu

CLINICAL MANAQER, PERIOPERATIVE SERVICES

98 AORN JOURNAL