AORN JOURNAL MARCH 1992, VOL 55, NO 3

Book Reviews

NURSING PROCESS

Documenting Care: Communication, the Nursing Process and Documentation Standards By Frances T. Fischbach 1991, 677pp $24.95 paperback

This book promotes the accurate and compre- hensive documentation of nursing practice in a clear and expeditious manner. Documentation is an integral part of the nursing process. The need for a textbook dealing specifically with the documentation process became apparent to the author while she was instructing and super- vising students in the clinical setting.

This book is designed to be used as a com- prehensive, up-to-date resource and teaching/ learning tool for all levels of nursing students. The inactive nurse returning to practice will find it helpful as he or she develops an under- standing of the nursing process in relation to basic documentation strategies. The practicing nurse will find the book helpful in providing ideas about the use of more efficient and con- sistent strategies to promote meaningful, accu- rate entries on patient care records.

The book is organized into six units and 21 chapters and is based on the Fischbach Model for Documentation. The model is made up of three unifying components: communication, nursing process, and documentation standards. Several chapters deal with documentation requirements for specific settings, special care areas, and patient populations. Some reference also is given to the legal, ethical, and risk man- agement aspects of documentation.

This book is available from F A Davis Co,

KAREN RICHARDSON, RN, BSN, CNOR NURSING COORDINATOR/OR, PACU, ASU

JOHN T. MATHER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PORT JEFFERSON, NY

1915 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1493.

SPECIALIZATION

HIV Screening of Pregnant Women and Newborns Edited by Leslie M. Hardy 1991, 146pp $19 paperback

HIV Screening of Pregnant Women and Newborns is very dry and matter-of-fact. It is directed to policy and decision makers who want to set up some type of screening for preg- nant women and newborns.

This text is a report from a committee that was developed by the Institutes of Medicine, Washington, DC, at the request of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Develop- ment, Bethesda, Md and the Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta. The committee was developed “to offer direction to policy makers and to examine the myriad of questions that frame the development of a sound perinatal HIV screen- ing policy.” The summary at the beginning of the text lists the committee’s conclusions, and the following chapters expand on them.

The chapters cover what is now the history of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic involving women of childbearing age and newborns and the problems associated with screening this group. The book states that a goal must be set before any type of screening

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AORN JOURNAL MARCH 1992, VOL 55, NO 3

policy is implemented. Issues are covered in order of importance to the committee (ie, new- born screening, women of childbearing age, policies).

The last part of the text addresses policy issues and the committee’s stand on questions regarding them. Appendices about the commit- tee members appear at the end of the text, along with the committee’s summary and cost analy- sis figures.

The text contains valuable information and covers a wide range of issues that are well thought-out. It also stresses points that could be very controversial. It is not a text that can be lightly read, as it is geared toward the person who wants information about developing HIV policies.

The book is well organized, well document- ed, and has an extensive bibliography.

This book is available from National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20418, or by calling the Institutes of Medicine at (800) 624-6242.

KARLEEN MCGILL, RN, BSN, COHN EMPLOYEE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES

COMMUNITY HOSPITALS OF INDIANAPOLIS EAST

Cardiopulmonary Emergencies Edited by Helen Hamilton

$24.95 hardcover 1991,343 pp

The book begins with a section on cardiac arrest and then discusses angina, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, acute respi- ratory failure, adult respiratory distress syn- drome, acute asthma, and mechanical ventila- tion. Each chapter presents case studies and covers the cause, assessment, diagnosis, and nursing/medical management for each topic. Every aspect is brief and to-the-point.

There are two appendices, which include car- diopulmonary care plans that review the associ- ated nursing diagnosis, expected outcomes, nursing interventions, and common bron- chodilators.

The book is an excellent source for review- ing cardiac problems. The only thing I would

change would be the size. A pocket manual would be very helpful. The book was easy to read and helpful.

This book is available from Springhouse Corp, 11 11 Bethlehem Pike, Springhouse, PA 19477.

RHONDA P. SNYDER, RN, MSN, CNOR MEDICAL REVIEW

BCBSNC DURHAM, NC

Eldercare: Positioning Your Hospital for the Future Edited by Nancy A. Persily 1991, 365pp $47.95 paperback, $37.95 AHA members

The elderly population has become the largest group of health care consumers in the country. These consumers soon will no longer accept health care as it has existed in the past. They are service conscious, and they will want health care providers to be more responsive to their wants and needs. Hospitals need to be “high tech” and “high touch.” Competition for patients is high, and hospitals are going to have to look for ways to provide a continuum of care for the elderly within their financial restraints.

The elderly have become the opportunity market for the future. Statistics show that the number of elderly people in the population has exceeded the number of teenagers in the popu- lation, and businesses are competing to tap this market. They are developing eldercare products and services, and hospitals need to do the same to remain viable.

Hospitals must become innovative, develop strategies, and plan for the future. Administrators must respond to the elderly population’s needs as an opportunity. Eldercare: Positioning Your Hospital for the Future develops the idea that hospitals have a role in ensuring the well-being of older Americans, and i t focuses on the recent changes in the health care market.

This book is divided into two parts. The first part describes the changing profile of the elder- ly population, their impact on hospitals, and the

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