Book reviews

Nursing the Open-Heart Surgery Patient. Aspinall, Mary Jo, New York: Mc- Graw-Hill, Inc 1973, 303 pp.

"Nursing The Open-Heart Surgery Patient" i s a concise reference book for nurse prac- titioners and researchers. In her approach to the nursing care of the open-heart patient, the author neglects neither the patient nor nurse. The expectations and needs of the patient are discussed with clarity. Information and reference material essential to a nurse caring for this type of patient i s presented with thoroughness and clarity.

The subject matter has been pared of nonessential detail. The book is well organized and this factor alone makes Mrs Aspinall's book valuable for the nurse who

has limited reading time. Diagrams and explanatory charts are clear and the thoroughness of the appendix is excellent, especially the inclusion of guidelines for electrical safety. A picture vividly depicts the need for nurses to be aware of electrical

safety by showing an open-heart patient after surgery. His environment includes five electrical machines for use in his care.

The final compliment, and maybe it should have been the first, goes to the publisher for the choice of type used and paper selected for the presentation of this book. It i s a book which promotes quick easy reading with little eye strain. This book should prove to be a valuable aid in train- ing new personnel, establishing and out-

fitting new units for care of open-heart surgery patients; and last, but not least, an excellent reference book for existing units.

It i s with material such as this that we can meet the challenges put forth in the preface by Edith Olson: " . . . to keep knowledgeable . . . to be actively involved . . . to dream and form our dreams into ideas and plans of actions . . . [and lastly] to have faith . . . [even] when the dawn i s still dark."

Karel List, RN Oklahoma City, Okla

AORN Journal, November 1973, Vol 18, N o 5 1049